36 



Working Foul Land in Spring. 



Where the land is very foul from the presence of 

 twitch or couch, thistle, willow-weed, or other stout 

 roots which are not killed without exposure, the land 

 requires working so as to bring them to the surface. 

 This is effected by the scuffler and drag with curved 

 tines. The scuffler is the stoutest implement, and is 

 most effectual in breaking up the furrows. These 

 should be followed by the curved-tine drags, and these 

 again by 'the lighter harrows, which will collect the 

 weeds so that they may be gathered together and be 

 carted away or burned, or if the weather is favourable 

 leave them exposed so that they die for want of 

 moisture. The amount of work will of course be 

 regulated by the quantity of weed to be destroyed. 

 It may be necessary to plough the land once or twice 

 previously to the final preparation for planting, but 

 this can only be decided in the field. One ploughing 

 in the spring is necessary, if only to cut thistles, so 

 that they are kept in check while the young potatoes 

 get possession of the ground. If there are many 

 thistle roots they should be dragged out, as when 

 they are merely turned over in a deep tilth they are 

 only transplanted, and are liable to give much trouble 

 in the crop. The weeds which give the greatest 

 trouble and cause most injury to the crop are thistles, 

 couch, and willow-weed. 



