192 



Weeding; Lands. 



Vol. III. 



tern in the best manner, and in two years 

 the savin^r of time, trouble and manure, will 

 repay the cost with interest. Therefore 



" Build for yourselves cisterns holding water." 



On Weeding: liiieid. 



The subject of weeding' or cleaninsr land 

 is of much greater extent and importance 

 than is commonly ima<jfined ; for it is not only 

 necessary to clear jrrain fields from weeds, 

 but grass lands demand an almost equal at- 

 tention. Nay, those enemies to useful pro- 

 duce, should be destroyed wherever they are 

 to be met with ; for if left unmolested, they 

 will spread their seeds over fields, with a 

 greater rapidity than can well be imagined. 



It is the more necessary to attend to this 

 subject, as Nature seems to have made un- 

 common efforts to preserve these species of 

 plants. Many of them propagate both by 

 their seeds and their roots; — in some cases, 

 the roots are so deep in the ground, that it 

 is hardly possible to reach them; while in 

 others, every joint in the root forms a new 

 plant. The extirpation of weeds, under 

 these circumstances, must be attended with 

 difficulty, and it is evident, that the measures 

 to be used for that purpose, must be of a 

 general, and not of a partial nature. 



Weeds are commonly divided into three 

 classes — Annuah, which continue only one 

 year, the plan'^ lying after its seeds are per- 

 fected ; Biennials, which continue two years, 

 and die after maturing their seeds the se- 

 cond year; and Perennials, which continue 

 in existence several years. Many of tiiese 

 are propagated both from the root and the 

 seed. 



These different sorts of weeds are found 

 in corn fields; — in grass lands; — in hedges; 

 — in waste and uncultivated lands;— and in 

 woods and plantations : nor are gardens, not- 

 withstanding the care bestowed on their cul- 

 ture, exempted from them. 



ARABLE LANDS. 



The clearing of arable lands from weeds, 

 may in general be accomplished by, 1. Com- 

 plete and well managed fallows, whenever 

 that operation is required. 2. By taking care 

 that the manure used is free from the seeds 

 of weeds, or any roots tiiat can vegetate; for 

 which purpose, ferinentiiifr dunghills is ad- 

 visable. 3. By a careful choice of clean seed 

 corn. 4. By short tillages, or not taking too 

 many crops in rotation, previous to the land 

 being laid down to grass. 5. By attentive 

 hand weeding, and a spirited use of the hoe. 

 6. By drilling crops, in soils applic:ible to 

 that" culture. ^7. By the strictest attention to 

 the choice of grass seeds, that no sceJs of 



weeds be intermingled with them. 8. By 

 weeding the land while in grass, so as not to 

 suf!'er the seeds of any injurious plants to 

 spread themselves ; and, 9. Upon breaking 

 up the land, by pursuing such a system of^ 

 cropping, as will not increase or encourage 

 weeds, in particular by adopting rotations 

 in which green crops shall predominate. On 

 the subject of weeds in arable land, it is 

 iiighly material to observe, that their seeds 

 are often mixed with the grain, and when 

 ground with it, render the bread unwhole- 

 some. Such weeds are universal enemies, 

 from whose mischievous attacks no individual 

 is exempted, and whose destruction, it is 

 every one's interest, as well as duty, to pro- 

 mote. 



GRASS LANDS. 



It is difficult, in some cases, to discrimi- 

 nate, in meadows and pastures, the useful 

 plants, from those that are injurious ; but 

 amidst the great variety which nature pro- 

 duces in such lands, there are several, which 

 are not calculated to feed domesticated ani- 

 mals, and ought therefore to be removed, lor 

 the introduction of others better adapted for 

 that purpose. No person of common under- 

 standing, would ever think of allowing the 

 live stock of his neighbors to feed upon his 

 pastures, as the diminution of food to his own 

 stock, by that circumstance, would be suffi- 

 ciently obvious. A little consideration, how- 

 ever, rnay convince every individual, that a 

 multitude of weeds interspersed among his 

 grasses, produce effects not less mischievous, 

 than those that would ensue from such de- 

 predations of live stock. Yet we are in- 

 formed on respectable authority, that in some 

 of the best conditioned pastures, thistles and 

 other weeds occupy at least half the land, to 

 the exclusion of an equal number of useful 

 plants. 



Above twenty different kinds of weeds in- 

 fest grass lands, besides about thirty more, 

 of less importance, whose charactprs are 

 doubtful, or whose uses are not ascertained. 

 Some of the most worthless, as the rush, 

 (jnnrns,) and the sedije tribe, (^rarexes,) 

 nny he got the belter of by draining; others, 

 like the mosses, [musci,) by cultivation and 

 manure; but tiiere are a few which require 

 individual attention, before they can be era- 

 dicatpd; in particular the dock, the thistle, 

 and the rag-weed. 



MEAN.S OF PUEVENTINtt THE INCREASE OF 

 WEEDS. 



This is a point which requires a number of 

 precautions on the part of the farmer. 1. 

 There is a great risk of carryin? a nuisance 

 to his fields, if he use unfermented dnnr|', and 

 where that system is adopted, drilling and 

 careful hoeing arc necessary. 2. Great care 



