1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



125 



Fvr the Xeic England Farmer. 

 EXTIRPATION OF WEEDS. 



Mr. Ebitor :— Can not you or some of your 

 numerous correspondents suggest some method 

 for the extirpation of the numerous kinds of 

 weeds, that are growing so luxuriantly over our 

 fields, and by the sides of our fences and high- 

 ways, and increasing every year ? Would not it 

 be a good plan for the Legislature of each State 

 to interpose its authority for the destruction of 

 weeds ? At least, it is to be hoped that so use- 

 ful a measure on an extensive scale, will yet be 

 passed into a law. By some it is recommended 

 that the destruction of weeds on the sides of 

 roads should be done at the expense of the to-wn ; 

 others, by the road-surveyors, and the expense 

 to be stated in their accounts. 



The prevention of the growth of weeds requires 

 many precautions on the part of the farmer. 

 There is great risk of carrying a nuisance to 

 his fields, if he use unfermented manure, and 

 great care should be taken, when grain is cleaned, 

 that none of the offal, which contains the seeds 

 of weeds, find its way to the manure pile. Grain 

 for seed should be well cleaned before it is sown, 

 and attentive farmers, will never purchase any 

 seed but those of the cleanest and best sorts. 

 Many fields, after being completely cultivated 

 and sown with grass seed, have been found when 

 re-plowed, after many years, to be stored with 

 weeds of various sorts, most probably from some 

 unfortunate mixture with the seed sown or de- 

 posited with the manure. 



All plants which grow naturally among a crop 

 that has been sown or planted, may be regarded 

 as weeds, or, in other words, as enemies to the 

 crop that is cultivated. The destruction of such 

 plants, therefore, must be considered as one of 

 the most important branches of the agricultural 

 art ; for if that is neglected, or even but slovenly 

 performed, the crops may be greatly reduced, 

 even on the best of soil. Besides, it merits con- 

 sideration, that if weeds are suffered to exist, the 

 full advantages of manuring land, and other im- 

 provements, can only partially be obtained. Nor 

 is this all ; the mixture of weeds prevents the 

 crops from receiving the beneficial effects from 

 the atmosphere, sucks up that moisture so essen- 

 tial for the growth of the crop, and the seeds of 

 these weeds injure the quality of the grain. Not- 

 withstanding all these injuries, how many are 

 there who ever attempt to remove weeds in an 

 effectual manner ? This negligence is the more 

 to be blamed, because, were farmers at the trou- 

 ble of collecting all sorts of weeds, before they 

 have formed their seeds, and mixing them with 

 muck or almost any kind of earth and lime in its 

 caustic state, or fermenting them with manure, 

 they would soon be reduced to a soft pulpy s*-ate, 

 and in this way, a pernicious nuisance might be 

 converted into a valuable manure. 



Various experiments have been tried to ascer- 

 tain the positive advantage derived from weed- 

 ing crops. The following is an example tried 

 with wheat. Two acres of good soil was plowed 

 and soAvn broad-cast. One acre was carefully 

 measured off, and not a weed was pulled out of 

 it — the other acre was weeded with care. The un- 

 weeded acre produced eighteen bushels of wheat, 

 the weeded acre tioenty-tico and one-half — that is, 



one-fourth more in favor of weeding. The im- 

 portance of weeding, both to the individual and 

 to the public, is such that it ought to be enforced 

 by law. At any rate, a law for fining those who 

 harbor weeds, the seeds of which may be blown 

 into their neighbors' ground, can have no injus- 

 tice in principle. The justice, or some other 

 town officer, might be authorized by law to issue 

 an order, when complaint is made, for the imme- 

 diate removal of such nuisances, and if not com- 

 plied with, the offender should be fined a sum 

 not exceeding $25, one-half to the informer, 

 and the rest to the town or why not for ^e sup- 

 port of an agricultural society? I think, on the 

 whole, keeping his land free from weeds ought 

 to be a principal object with every farmer ; and 

 if this is not carefully attended to, I can assure 

 him that he will pay dearly for his neglect. But 

 the loss which he sustains does not remedy the 

 injury which the public suffers from his slovenly 

 conduct. These suggestions, concerning the reg- 

 ulations with regard to the extirpation of weeds, 

 may be considered as both expedient and neces- 

 sary, for were they adopted, it is evident, that 

 many of the evils alluded to would be removed, 

 and the wealth and agricultural resources of the 

 nation materially increased. J. j. 



Barnet, Vt., Dec, 1857. 



SUDDE]Sr APPEARANCE OPPARTICUIiAR 

 SPECIES OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 



The sudden appearance during some particular 

 season, of immense numbers of a previously 

 scarce, or even common species of insect, or plant, 

 has arrested the attention of observers in all ages, 

 and has been the basis of much sage reasoning in 

 regard to the spontaneous-generation hypothesis. 

 But at the present day, such vagaries have been 

 entirely dissipated by the light of science. 



When we consider that all these lower forms 

 are extremely productive, and that many of their 

 germs can remain for a long period inert, until 

 favorable circumstances call their dormant poM'- 

 ers into activity, there needs but a slight amount 

 of reflection, to understand that as far as plants 

 are concerned, a favorable season for the ripen- 

 ing of seed, succeeded by conditions equally fa- 

 vorable to germination, will, in soil adapted to its 

 growth, have the effect of producing the greatest 

 number of that particular plant exposed to such 

 influences. But the conditions which will prove 

 so very favorable to one plant, will, in all likeli- 

 hood, be only moderately beneficial, or may be 

 even positively injurious to other plants, even 

 when closely related to the one benefited. Add 

 to a favorable season an exemption from the at- 

 tacks of insects, or other animals, and all the 

 conditions of success are complete, and a large 

 crop is the result. But this favorable season is 

 generally followed by unfavorable conditions. Its 

 insect enemies increase in proportion to their fa- 

 cilities for obtaining food, and the consc(][ucnce 

 is, that the plant becomes again scarce. Last 

 year, the white clover was unusually abundant ; 

 every meadow and common was white with its 

 blossoms. This season, the dandelion, (Dentls- 

 Leonis Taraxacum,) is equally plenty. We have 

 observed that these plants are most numerous in 

 the vicinity of places where this species bloomed 



