FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 417 



The method commonly used in Pennsylvania, for thining 

 this weed, is one or two hoed crops, and then oats sowed 

 thickly. Long pasturing or mowing the ground, will tend 

 gradually to extirpate it; especially if the growth of the 

 grass be luxuriant. 



A W riser in a Paper, published at Raleigh, North- 

 Carolina, says, that late in August he turned under a sward, 

 to the dtpih of about four inches, which was much infested 

 with wild-onions; that, in the Full Allowing, he sowed and 

 harrowed in wheat on the ground* without any further 

 ploughing; and that the crop w<?s entirely clear of these 

 weeds. In this case, it would seem, that turning under 

 the roots of the onions to this dep'h, and leaving th m thus 

 inverted, is sufficient to destroy their vegetative powers; 

 and, if so, the turning under of a clover sward, to form a 

 lay tor wheat, would seem to be admirably calculated for 

 extirpating their growth. 



See CLOVER and TRENCH PLOUGHING. 



The growth of weeds wmch aic commonly called cockle 

 and steencrite, is often injurious to crops of wheat and rye. 

 The seeds of these weeds are usually carried into the fields 

 in the barn-dung, in its crude state. Dung, therefore, which 

 contains these should not be applied to the summer fallow, 

 but carted out in the Spring and used for hoed crops ; in 

 this way, the seeds will vegetate in the Fall, and then the 

 young growth is effectually killed by ploughing for the next 

 Spring-crops. 



Johnswort ( Hyfierirum) grows on such dry soils as are 

 suitable to the application of gypsum; and this manure, or 

 any other which is suitable to the soil, when pretty plen- 

 tifully applied, and the land laid down with clover, or oiher 

 suitable grass, will quickly eradicate every vestige of this 

 weed. 



Burdock (Arctium) and some similar weeds, should be 

 cut, or dug up, while green. 



Quitchgrass (Lolium) is considerably injurious to the 

 growth of almost every plant. It prevails most in the stiffcr 

 soils. It starts afresh, wherever its large strong roots are 

 cut with the plough or hoe ; particularly when the soil is 

 rather moist. When it is quite dry, the roots may be d rag- 

 ed to the surface by frequent harrowings, where they will 

 perish ; and this, together with long pasturing, or mowing 

 the ground, is perhaps the only practicable method of geting 

 rid of this grass. It should, however, be observed, that this 

 is a tolerably good grass for either pasturing or mowing ; 

 especially when other grasses are mixed with it. 



The seeds of this grass have some resemblance to grains 

 of blasted rye. Grain designed for sowing may be mostly 

 cleared of the seeds of it, by swiming the grain in water. 



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