REMEDIAL MEASURES 35 



killed. Perennial weeds, such as Couch and Docks, 

 are dragged to the surface, sun-dried and burned. In 

 connection with bare fallowing, however, it must be 

 noted that a covering of annual weeds may be of value 

 in retaining nitrates in a highly pervious soil, instead of 

 allowing them to be carried into the subsoil drains and 

 lost. Care must be taken, in any case, that the weeds 

 are ploughed under before they have time to seed, and 



FIG. 3. Poppy Killer used for light surface cultivation. (After a photograph 

 published by the Board of Agriculture. ) 



this is accomplished by two or more successive plough- 

 ings. Bare fallowing, however, is not practised to the 

 extent it used to be and rightly so the introduction 

 of a fallow or catch crop serving the double purpose 

 of retaining nitrates in the soil and destroying weeds. 

 Good farming will, in general, keep land sufficiently 

 free from weeds as to obviate the necessity of a bare 

 fallow for the purpose of eradicating them. On very 

 heavy land, however, bare fallowing is practised on 

 account of its great value in the general improvement 

 of the soil, and in wet seasons, on certain land, its 

 practice may be essential ; and where heavy land is 

 very weedy, bare fallowing is a certain means of 

 " cleaning up." 



Where lighter land has become very foul with 

 weeds a catch crop may well replace bare fallow. 

 Spring ploughing, followed by successive harrowings to 

 destroy the successive crops of annual weeds, may end 



