SECRETARY'S REPORT. 105 



The late Sir John Sinclair made some experiments on this 

 subject, which are wortliy tlie attention of farmers. He says : 

 " First, seven acres of light gravelly land were fallowed and sown 

 broad-cast ; one acre was measured off and not a weed was 

 pulled out of it ; the other six were carefully weeded. The 

 unweeded acre produced 18 bushels ; the six weeded acres 135 

 bushels, or 22|- per acre, which is 4| bushels, or one-fourth 

 more produce in favor of weeding. Second, a six acre field was 

 sown with barley, in fine tilth and well manured. The weeding, 

 owing to a great abundance of charlock, cost 12 shillings per 

 acre. The produce of an unweeded acre was only 13 bushels, 

 of the weeded 28 ; difference in favor of weeding, 15 bushels per 

 acre, besides the land being so much cleaner for succeeding 

 crops. Third, six acres sown with oats ; one acre ploughed but 

 once and unmanured, produced only 17 bushels ; the other five 

 acres ploughed three times, manured and weeded, produced 37 

 bushels. This experiment proves that oats require good 

 management, and will pay for it as well as other crops. Ten 

 bushels of the increased produce may be fairly attributed to 

 the weeding and the other ten to the manure." It seems by this 

 experiment too that the charlock, or as our farmers call it, 

 " cadlock," is as great a nuisance in England as with us. 



In speaking of weeds, they would naturally enough be divided 

 into two classes, one of which increases and multiplies by the 

 seed alone, and the other is propagated only by the root. 

 Those weeds which are reproduced by their seeds may be 

 divided into two classes ; the annuals, which spring up, produce 

 and shed their seeds in the same season, and then perish ; and 

 the biennials, which spring up the first year, live through the 

 winter and produce their seed in the second year of their vegeta- 

 tion. Neither of these two classes possess long-lived roots ; the 

 whole plant perishes as soon as the seed has reached maturity. 

 Those weeds which are produced from seeds can only be 

 destroyed by the seeds contained in the soil being successively 

 brought to the surface and thus enabled to germinate, for other- 

 wise they might remain whole centuries in the earth without 

 losing their vitality. 



The number of seeds found in each of the different kinds of 

 weeds, and the length of time that they will lie in the ground 

 without losing their vitality, is marvellous. We can only 



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