200 [Assembly 



seeds in it, you can hardly grow weeds, so that there is nothing 

 for the farmer to do but once get rid of them ; manure properly^ 

 and he shall have no more weeds to attend to. It is true some 

 seeds may be carried by the wind, but by his daily example his 

 plan soon becomes adopted by his neighbors, and the result will 

 be that few weeds will trouble him. 



Mr. George E. Waring, jr., then said — The remarks which have 

 been made on the subject of weeds recall to my mind a somewhat 

 curious fact which recently came under my observation. In some 

 of the more Eastern States, the easy cultivation of field crops is 

 very much interfered with by a weed called wild rye or witch 

 grass, a very troublesome and hardy plant. Farmers have observed 

 that a single crop of turnips is sufflcient to entirely eradicate this 

 pest, and among many this is the means used to secure its de- 

 struction. 



Such facts, and others of a similar character which might be 

 named, lead us to the conclusion that the excrementitious matter 

 discharged by the roots of one plant may be destructive to other 

 plants growing in the same soil. If such is the case, it is possible 

 that a proper application of botanical knowledge may enable us 

 to do away with many weeds. I merely throw this out as a sug- 

 gestion, other gentlemen may be able to give us more light on the 

 subject. Perhaps it is of sufficient importance to command closer 

 attention than has hitherto been given it. 



It seems to me that simply clearing the ground of weeds is not 

 all that should be considered in connection with this subject. The 

 soil should be kept in a condition uninviting to the growth of 

 weeds. 



Prof. Mapes has told us that soils deficient in potash produce a 

 class of plants peculiar to such a condition, and that in like man- 

 ner soils deficient in soda produce a class of plants peculiar to 

 this condition. The same effect may be observed throughout the 

 whole list of deficiencies in important ingredients. From this it 

 may be justly deduced, that if the f?oil be kept in the highest con- 



