348 CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



by roots. The majority of farmers farming heavy wheat 

 land are but too well acquainted with the " couch grass " 

 (triticum repens), which so overruns some fields, which is 

 propagated so easily, and which is eradicated with such dif- 

 ficulty. The root of this pest is jointed, and each joint 

 sends out a v fresh rootlet, so that by cutting up, as some 

 implements do, the weed merely that is, dividing it into 

 parts we only add to the mischief by giving existence to 

 new plants. Salt given in liberal doses is said to be an 

 excellent mode of getting rid of such grass. Docks are 

 another pest to the farmer : they are best got rid of by ex- 

 tracting the roots in wet weather, or when the ground is 

 damp, by means of what is called a " dock spade." This 

 or any other implement which may be used will require to 

 be used with care, so that the roots are extracted wholly : 

 for if any part of the root is left in it is the parent of a 

 vigorous plant. The more direct the pull in the direction 

 of its length, the more likely is the root to be wholly ex- 

 tracted ; any lateral strain thrown upon it is almost sure to 

 result in the root being broken short off. Such a mode of 

 getting rid of root-propagated weeds is, however, so slow 

 and tedious, arid not always so certain a process, that other 

 means have been looked for for the purpose of getting rid 

 of them. In pasture land and in meadow land in the 

 latter at certain periods of the year only the best plan is 

 to keep mowing the leaves down : let them in fact never 

 be allowed to develop their leaves to any extent, never so 

 far as to exceed 2 or 3 inches above the ground. Profes- 

 sor Buckman says "As the leaves are the lungs of a 

 plant," bear in mind never to allow in such " cases the 

 lungs to develop themselves." This mode of meeting the 

 enemy is of course not available in lands, under arable 

 crops, nor, indeed, as we have pointed out, in meadow 

 land, at all seasons of the year. In land under crops, if 

 the crop is a grain one, many an opportunity will be 

 afforded the vigilant farmer to get rid of weeds which 

 show themselves above ground; and, generally speaking, 



