WEEDS OF ARABLE LAND 153 



these should receive will help to weaken the young 

 shoots of Couch which may appear. Fream suggests 

 that were the hoe used in the root crops in the autumn, 

 seedling Couch, which becomes established after that 

 time, would have little chance of causing trouble. 



Bare fallowing may in some cases be found necessary. 

 The growth of heavy crops of vetches, rape, or maize 

 has a good effect in reducing the weed by cutting off 

 the supply of light. 



In this connection an American farmer states l that 

 " The great principle to be kept in view in destroying 

 Quack Grass is shade. Shade during the dry weather of 

 the late summer and early fall will take the life out of the 

 roots and leave them to decay and fertilise the soil. . . . 

 There are other valuable crops that do it, but corn 

 (maize) is the one which, on the whole, does the best 

 work. I think about 5 dollars per acre extra labour on 

 the corn (maize) field will destroy all except a few small 

 tufts of the Quack in one season. Then to make sure, 

 follow with corn the next year under somewhat less 

 rigorous, but still careful cultivation, and the eradication 

 will be complete." 



Seeding of Couch plants in hedgerows should be pre- 

 vented by regular trimming. 



In garden cultivation many advocate that Couch 

 should be completely forked out and burnt ; but if 

 thorough and deep trenching be practised, and the 

 Couch be placed at the bottom of the trench, it may be 

 effectively smothered, as the writer has proved. The 

 passage from The Times, quoted at p. 4, adequately 

 supports this statement. 



On extensive farm lands the Couch removed from the 

 fields need not be burnt, so destroying much valuable 

 organic matter, but may be built up into stacks and 



1 E. M. Barton in The Breeders' Gazette, July 21, 1909. 



