7 6 Of Weeds. Chap. VII. 



Heat, to make them grow -, and fuch as have not 

 thefe, will lie in the Ground, and retain their vege- 

 tative Virtue for Ages ; and the common ufual Plow- 

 ings, not being fufficient to make them all, or the 

 greater! Part, grow, almoft every Crop that ripens 

 increafes the Stock of Seed, until it make a confider- 

 able Part of the Staple of fuch Land as is fown with- 

 out good Tillage and Fallowing. 



The bed Defence againft thefe Enemies, which the 

 Farmer has hitherto found, is to endeavour their 

 Deft ruction by a good Summer-fallow : This indeed, 

 if the Weather be propitious, does make Havock of 

 them -, but dill fome will efcape one Year's Profecution. 

 Either by being fometimesfituatefo high, that the Sun's 

 Heat dries them, or fometimes lying fo deep, that 

 it cannot reach them; either way their Germination, 

 which would have proved their Death, is prevented. 



Another Faculty fecures abundance of them, and 

 that is, their being able, to endure the Heat and Moi- 

 fture of one Year without growing; as (a) wild Oats, 

 and innumerable other Sorts of Weeds, will do; for 

 gather thefe when ripe, fow them in the richeft Bed, 

 water them, and do ail that is poffible to make them 

 grow the Firlt Year, it will be vain Labour; they 

 will refift all Enticements till the Second; that is, 

 if you gather them in Autumn, you cannot force 

 them to grow until the next Spring come Twelve- 

 month; and many of them will remain dormant 

 even to the next Year alter that, and fome of them 

 longer. 



By this Means, One Year's Summer-Fallow can 

 have no Effect upon them, but to prepare the Soil 



(a) I have not try'd wild Oats by {"owing them in a Bed myfelf, 

 but have been fo inform'd by others ; and my own Experience 

 hath frequently (hewn me, that they will come up, after lying 

 many Year?, in the Ground ; and that very few Sorts of Weeds will 

 come all up the hrft Year, as Corn doth : If they did, the Tillage 

 of one Year's Summer-fallow might extirpate them, 



for 



