INJURIOUS EFFECTS OF WEEDS. 191 



and to the crop, and should not be suffered by any good 

 farmer. The full purpose of cultivation is not secured, un- 

 less the weeds are destroyed before they appear above the 

 soil. When the cultivation is the most effective one may 

 see on examination of the soil, a vast number of 5 newly ger- 

 minated seeds; which, had they been permitted to gain a 

 foot-hold in the soil, would have drawn nutriment from it 

 and would have checked the growing crop. A large por- 

 tion of them would have gained a sufficient foot-hold, or 

 root-hold, to resist the shock of the overturning and could 

 not be wholly destroyed by the disturbance of their roots. 

 Thus the land will not have been kept clean, and injurious 

 weeds will have been perpetuated. These remarks are cer- 

 tainly justified by the appearance of the corn and root fields 

 on nearly every farm. The crops, half smothered in weeds, are 

 robbed of their necessary food. A vast quantity of water, in- 

 dispensable to the full growth of the crops, is appropriated and 

 exhaled by the weeds, and in this way too, the soil is de- 

 prived of its fertility, and the farmer of the expected re- 

 wards for his toil and time. 



No weed should be permitted to appear above the ground 

 in such a case. If it does, the main purpose of the cultiva- 

 tion is not effected. This is not to kill weeds, so much as to 

 improve the soil, and were the soil wholly free from weeds, 

 the regular working should be carried on in the most thor- 

 ough manner. The weeds are destroyed incidentally; and 

 the farmer should not wait for them to appear before the 

 cultivator is started in the rows. This should be done be- 

 fore the' young plants of the crop have appeared above the 

 ground, and should be continued at such short intervals as 

 may be necessary to keep the soil loose and mellow. 



