AGRICULTURE AND PLANTI:j^^C$i !.J:-*Oi^M!Pl 



On the Use of the Couch Grass Rake. 



On the Use of the Couch Grass Rake, 



a 



'OUCH grass is one of the worst of weeds among corn, and one of the most 

 difficult to extirpate in arable laud; as every joint of the root throws out a num- 

 ber of stems. 



The usual method of destroying couch grass, is by fallowing the land, har- 

 rowing and rolling it well, and then gathering the couch grass by hand, into 

 heaps, and burning it ; which is not only very tedious but expensive. But by the 

 use of this machine and the couch grass drag, the labouf^j^ expense is.very 

 much reduced. 



Between the second and third ploughings, is the most proper time to be- 

 gin the operations of cleaning the land of couch grass. 



The first thing to be done is, to make the land fine by rolling and harrow- 

 ing, then to leave the land under the impression of the roller, in order to level 

 the surface, and to press down the clods out of the way of the rake. 



The next thing to be done, is to rake the land the cross way of the ridges, 

 and when the rake has gathered as much of the couch grass as it can hold with- 

 out losing any of it, the man must lift up the handles so high as to permit the 

 couch grass to fall off from the rake teeth; the horse then going forward, he dropa 

 the rake just beyond the row thus gathered together. This he repeats as often as 

 the rake is full, till he reaches the side of the field. He then turns, and, coming 

 back by the side of the part raked, empties the rake adjoining to the first row. 

 By this means the couch grass lies in streight rows the length way of the lands. 

 When the field is finished this way, or before, the roAvs must then be collected 

 into heaps, forked over to lighten the couch grass, and then burnt. 



