On Weeding Land. 267 



pense, however, is amply repaid, by the extra produce of 

 the crop, and by the destruction of such a host of enemies, 

 before they have done any injury to the crop. The expense 

 of hand-hoeing crops of grain is very great. When thrice 

 done, it has cost in Essex 31s. 6d. per acre ( 384 ). 



The expense of weeding turnips by the hand-hoe varies. 

 The first hoeing, being the most troublesome, will cost from 

 4s. to 5s. per acre : the second, about half that amount. In 

 some cases, it is necessary to hoe turnips a third time, 

 though the expense is then but trifling, seldom more than 

 Is. per acre. Total expense is about 85. 6d. per acre. When 

 beans and potatoes are hand-hoed, the soil not being equally 

 well pulverized, the expense will be at least one-third more 

 than that of turnips, or from 9s. to 12s. per acre. 



The scraper will go over an English acre, at the expense 

 of from Is. Sd. to 2s. When the small plough is used, it 

 will cost about 3s. 6d. per acre for turnips, and 4s. 6d. for 

 beans and potatoes, each time that the land is hoed. 



It must not be imagined, however, that the expense thus 

 incurred, can be productive of no other advantage than that 

 of cleansing the ground ( 385 ) In the month of June, these 

 weeds are in their most succulent state ; and if they are col- 

 lected, and remain for a few hours to wither, cattle that are 

 not pampered, will eat them greedily. Sheep also will eat 

 charlock, and in the fens, if charlock appear among the 

 coleseed, lambs are put in, to eat it off, when in blossom. 

 There is scarcely indeed a hedge-border, or corner of a 

 field, that is not at this season valuable, and whose pro- 

 duce might not be converted into valuable manure; yet in a 

 few weeks, if the transient opportunity be not embraced, 

 it may become a nuisance. The mode of converting weeds 

 into a manure, by mixing them with earth, has been already 

 mentioned, (see Sect. 5) ; but if that be considered a trou- 

 blesome operation, they may be mixed with quick-lime, or 

 at any rate collected and burned, when their ashes will be 

 valuable. 



4. Means of preventing 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 carry- 

 ing a nuisance to his fields, if he use unfermented dung. 

 2. Great care should be taken, when corn is dressed, that 

 none of the offal, which contains the seeds of weeds, should 

 be thrown upon the dunghill. 3. Seed corn should be 



