34 COMMON WEEDS 



tend to prevent the growth of many seeds, but such 

 cultivation must frequently be employed without fail 

 if weeds are to be eradicated. Perhaps the large 

 majority of weeds are destroyed when ploughed under. 

 Scarifying and harrowing may drag out Couch, Bind- 

 weed, and Creeping Thistle, which may then be 

 drawn together for burning by means of a stout horse- 

 rake ; harrowing leaves many weeds on the surface 

 to be scorched by the sun or destroyed by frost ; 

 hoeing by hand or by horse labour, especially when 

 the weeds are in the seedling stage, is one of the most 

 efficient and common means of destroying weeds ; 

 and all the tillage operations are calculated to 

 ameliorate the soil and render it more fit to grow 

 the cultivated crop. 



Another efficient remedy consists in surface cultivation 

 in spring in order to destroy seedlings. The production 

 of a fine tilth encourages dormant seeds to germinate, 

 and as soon as these are fairly started the applica- 

 tion of light harrows, the American Weeder, Poppy 

 Destroyer, or in gardens the hoe (Fig. 5), effectually 

 destroys them. By this means very large numbers of 

 annuals are killed, and many perennials also which are 

 exposed to late frosts. The process should, if pos- 

 sible, be repeated two or three times at intervals of 

 two or three weeks, and may be practised on young 

 corn crops with great advantage until quite late in 

 spring. The Poppy Destroyer (Fig. 3) is an example of 

 an implement specially designed to eradicate a surface- 

 growing annual. 



(b) Fallowing and Fallow Crops. As a means of de- 

 stroying weeds bare fallowing is of much value, for owing 

 to the repeated ploughing, harrowing, and rolling which 

 the land receives weed seeds successively germinate, but 

 are prevented from establishing themselves and are 



