268 On Weeding Land. 



thoroughly cleansed from all other substances, before it is 

 deposited in the ground; and, 4. Attentive farmers, will 

 never purchase any seeds, but those of the cleanest and best 

 sorts. Many fields, after being completely fallowed, and 

 sown with grass-seeds with the fallow crop, have been found, 

 when reploughed, to be stored with weeds of various sorts, 

 most probably from some unfortunate mixture in the grass- 

 seeds. The seeds of docks are often sown with clover, and 

 those of other pernicious plants with rye-grass ( 386 ). 



The seeds of weeds, are sometimes brought from the up- 

 lands in floods, floating on the water, and are left in multi- 

 tudes by the eddies, along with mud, in particular places ( 387 ). 

 These ought to be collected and destroyed. 



5. Regulations for the Destruction of Weeds. 



In several countries, the legislature has interposed its au- 

 thority for the destruction of weeds. By a regulation in 

 France, a farmer may sue his neighbour, who neglects to 

 destroy the thistles upon his land at the proper seasons, or 

 may employ people to do it at the other's expense ( 388 ). In 

 Denmark, there is a law to oblige the farmers to root up the 

 corn marigold (chrysanthemum segetum) ( 389 ). But the oldest 

 regulation for that purpose, was probably in Scotland ; a 

 statute of Alexander II. about the year 1220, having been 

 directed against that weed, which was considered to be pe- 

 culiarly pernicious to corn-fields ( 39 ). Under the authori- 

 ty of that law, Sir William Grierson, a Scottish baron, was 

 accustomed to hold Goul courts, for the express purpose of 

 fining the farmers in whose growing crops, three heads or 

 upwards of that weed were found ( 391 ). Such a plan, if ge- 

 nerally adopted, would soon extirpate weeds ; and as by a 

 clause introduced into many leases, (and which ought to be 

 universal), the landlord is empowered to cut down these 

 weeds, at the expense of the tenant, if the latter neglect to 

 do it himself; it is much to be regretted, that so useful a 

 regulation should not be generally enforced. 



The policy of some legislative provision for this purpose, 

 has been frequently suggested. A clause enforcing the ex- 

 tirpation of weeds, in hedges, along the sides of roads, pass- 

 ed the House of Commons; but was thrown out by the 

 Lords. It is to be hoped, that so useful a measure, even on 

 a more extensive scale, will soon 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 parish ex- 



