On Weeding Land. 261 



the plan of ploughing them in, (which, at any rate, can only 

 answer in very deep soils), cannot be depended on. 



It may not be improper here to notice, the great attention 

 paid by the Flemish farmers to the weeding of their land ; 

 and as they know nothing of the drill husbandry in the cul- 

 ture of grain, the whole process is effected by manual la- 

 bour. In the best cultivated districts, their exertions are in- 

 cessant ; and frequently from 20 to 30 women, may be seen 

 employed in one field, kneeling, for the purpose of greater 

 facility in seeing and extracting the weeds ( 368 j. In the 

 Pays de Waes, where the soil is light, the trident, orfourc/ie 

 a trois dents^ is made use of, after the several crops are har- 

 vested, to tear up the root-weeds ; and the same tool is suc- 

 cessfully employed, in breaking the clods in strong land, 

 when they become dry, for enabling the root- weeds to be 

 gathered, and facilitating the pulverization of the soil ( 369 ). 



The clearing of arable lands from weeds, may in general 

 be accomplished by, 1. Complete 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 that can vegetate ; for which purpose, ferment- 

 ing dunghills are advisable ; 3. By a careful choice of clean 

 seed-corn ; 4. By short tillages, or not taking too many 

 crops in a rotation ; 5. By drilling crops, in soils applicable 

 to that culture ; 6. By attentive hand-weeding, and a spi- 

 rited use of the hoe ; 7. By the strictest attention to the 

 choice of seeds, particularly those of grass, that no weeds 

 are intermingled with them ; 8. By weeding the land while 

 in grass, so as not to suffer the seeds of any injurious plants 

 to spread themselves ; and, 9. By breaking up the land, 

 by pursuing such a system of cropping, as will not increase 

 or encourage weeds, and in particular, by adopting rotations 

 in which green crops shall predominate ( 37p ). 



On the subject of weeds in arable land, it is highly mate- 

 rial to observe, that their seeds are often mixed with the 

 grain, and when ground with it, render the bread unpalat- 

 able and unwholesome. 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 promote ( 3?I ). 



2. Grass Lands. It is difficult, in some cases, to discri- 

 minate, jn meadows and pastures, between the useful plants 

 and those that are injurious ; but amidst the great variety 

 which nature produces in such lands, there are several, which 

 are not calculated to feed domesticated animal?, and ought 



