CHAP. ix. OBSTRUCTIONS ON GRASS LANDS. 849 



CHAPTER IX. 



ON IMPEDIMENTS TO THE SCYTHE, AND ON THE ERADICATION OF 



WEEDS. 



GRASS lands are sometimes burdened with various obstructions, 

 which claim the attention of the industrious farmer. 



I. ANT-HILLS are very detrimental to pastures, not only by wasting 

 the space which they occupy, but by obstructing the free use of the 

 mowing-machine. The ant-hills are unsightly and injurious, and 

 there is great difficulty in driving the insects from the habitations 

 which they have so carefully constructed. The common mode of 

 removing these excrescences consists in dividing them into four parts 

 from the top, and afterwards digging sufficiently deeply to take out the 

 core below ; so that, when the turf is replaced, it may be somewhat 

 lower than the level of the rest of the soil, and thus, by rendering this 

 spot moister than the neighbouring parts, prevent the ants from 

 returning to their former haunt. 



Whatever method may be adopted for removing such obstructions, 

 the work should be performed in November, or during some part of 

 the winter ; because if the places or spots are then left open and 

 exposed, the frost and succeeding rains will exterminate all ants 

 that may remain in the lower part of the habitation. A contrary 

 practice, however, has been recommended by some farmers, viz., the 

 destruction of ant-hills in the month of April, on account of the 

 advantage of immediately sowing grass-seeds on the spot. For this 

 purpose a dressing of manure, in which chalk has been mixed, is 

 recommended to be thrown over it, as tending greatly to accelerate the 

 growth of the seeds. 



II. MOLE-HILLS. Mole-hills should be thrown down by means of a 

 spade, or grass-harrow ; but it is preferable to trap the moles, and 

 thus prevent the formation of molehills. 



III. STONES are sometimes so firmly fixed in the soil that they can- 

 not be removed without considerable difficulty ; but when the} 7 are 

 found in a loose state on the surface of the land, and are likely to impede 

 the mower, they should be picked off. This should be done in the 

 month of March. 



"The presence of stones, crocks, and other hard rubbish which may 

 have been deposited by previous dressings, not only diminishes the 

 crop while growing, but will by-and-by make it necessary to set the 

 machine high enough to ovoid breakage. Now the mower should 

 always be set as low as possible, for the bottom herbage is, weight for 



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