CULTIVATION. 105 



Weeds have a further disagreeable function namely to 

 feed the crop enemies when the crop is removed from 

 the soil. Baref allowing should be a means of ridding 

 the land from the enemies of the crop, but it entirely 

 fails in this respect when it is not kept free from weeds. 

 Land is difficult to free from weeds, but with energetic 

 eradication for a few years the weeds can be got under 

 fair control. Of course clean farming requires the sow- 

 ing of clean seed. The most dangerous weed for choking 

 seedlings is the "rigla," or purslane; the "lubain," or 

 sow thistle, greatly diminishes the later cuttings of ber- 

 seem ; the " kabar " or fine-leaved wild mustard, "mintena" 

 or goose-foot, and "erilla" or Allioni's mustard, occupy 

 much of the space which should be available for the crop 

 in which they are growing. The "neguil" or star grass 

 is a particularly bad enemy of a badly stocked maize crop. 

 This weed, growing with great rapidity and feeding on 

 the rich upper layers of the soil, is able to kill many 

 of the maize plants. Good cultivation, and sowing good 

 clean seed at the proper season, minimises the attack of 

 weeds. 



A few of the general principles involved in the sowing 

 and thinning of crops must be considered under the general 

 term of cultivation. For the production of good grain, 

 crops should be thinly stocked ; for stem fibre, or tender 

 green fodder the crop should be planted as closely as it 

 will stand. Crops which are too closely stocked are liable 

 to be "laid," and to be attacked by disease. As regards 

 the quantity of seed required to sow one feddan, it is a 

 general principle that good land requires less seed than 



