OF WEEDING. S57 



within the period of one year, carry seed, and then die ; 

 or perennial, which continue in life for a number of years, 

 propagate both by seed and root, and consequently are 

 extremely difficult to eradicate. 



To extirpate annual weeds, the process of drilling is 

 strongly to be recommended. That practice is already 

 established in Scotland, in so far as regards turnips, po- 

 tatoes, and beans, and materially tends to keep those 

 crops clear from weeds ; but it should also be extended to 

 every species of crop sown in spring, as wheat, barley, and 

 oats, for spring culture is favourable to the growth of an- 

 nuals, more especially when the land is dunged for a crop 

 of grain, or when the preceding crops consist of turnips 

 fed by sheep, and the ground is afterwards ploughed so 

 deep, as to raise the seed of annual weeds, which had not 

 been exposed to the turnip culture, and the hoeings which 

 accompany it. In such cases, the drill husbandry maybe 

 introduced with much propriety. When the rows are of 

 about 12 inches from each other, which is considered to 

 be a proper distance in drilling corn, according to the pre- 

 sent practice, there is space sufficient for admitting the 

 hand-hoe, which readily eradicates the annual weeds as 

 soon as they appear, before they become hurtful, or shed 

 their seeds. An experiment took place a few years ago, 

 upon a field of good land, which had frequently suffered 

 from an overflow of annual weeds. The greater part of 

 the field was sown in drills, and the rest in broad-cast, so 

 that the extent of the improvement might be ascertained. 

 The drilled part yielded a full crop, but the broad-cast was 

 indifferent, being, as usual, over-run with annuals. The 

 deficiency of the latter to the fdrmer was as nine is to fif- 

 teen, and the drilled part, (as might be expected), has ever 

 since been in better condition than the broad-cast part, 

 though- under the same management since it was drilled. 



