COUCH OR TRITICUM REPENS. 219 



and cranberries with equal success. A small town of only 

 three thousand inhabitants has this year marketed over eighty 

 thousand dollars' worth of cranberries, showing what may be 

 done with lands which can be cultivated in this way. One 

 acre is sometimes worth half a dozen acres of drier land, 

 which requires so much labor to fit it for a crop. I think 

 myself, that if we have this meadow-land, or land that is ap- 

 parently filled with briers and roots, if we can go in and 

 drain it, and take proper care of it, we shall find for the most 

 part, a reward for our labor. 



Mr. Wakefield, of Monson. I would like to ask Mr. 

 Root, if witch-grass can be killed entirely by ploughing one 

 summer? 



Mr. Root. I think it can, judging from my own experi- 

 ence and that of my neighbors. By ploughing the laud early 

 in June, I think it is most easily subdued. If you turn your 

 green-sward over then, I think it will decay quicker than 

 when turned over in May. By following it up with the 

 plough and with the harrow, through one summer, I think it 

 can be thoroughly killed out, judging from my own experi- 

 ence and from the observations which I have made on Mr. 

 Ellsworth's farm. You all know that witch-grass is a very 

 strong grower ; it has a large, strong root, and is not easily 

 killed. Right here I want to say, that I believe we have 

 been imposed upon by seedsmen Avho have sold us bad seed. 

 I believe it is the duty of the Board of Agriculture of Massa- 

 chusetts to look after this very matter, if it can be done. I 

 knoAV that grass-seed, sold for timothy in Boston, has been 

 largely mixed with witch-grass seed. It has been sown 

 where no witch-grass was ever known, and the witch-grass 

 came in thick. Consequently the land had to be ploughed 

 up, and it took a whole summer to kill it. I believe that 

 grass-seed which we buy in the market is not pure, and I 

 think this is a matter which needs to be looked after. 



Mr. Ellsworth, of Barre. I have tried summer-fallow- 

 ing and killed witch-grass to my satisfaction ; I have made a 

 success of it. Many of you doubtless understand what 

 witch-grass is. It is among the worst of our enemies ; but 

 it can be killed, if it is rightly treated. It is a very vigor- 

 ous, strong grower, and it will kill out every other kind of 



