88 ' Weeds. 



next spring or summer by a crop of corn, 

 roots, or rape. When this is done, the rye 

 may be cut green or plowed under as a 

 green crop. Such soiHng crops as oats and 

 peas may be grown, and be followed by 

 rape, turnips, or some other quick-growing 

 crop. When the soiling crop has grown 

 vigorously, and is follow^ed by one of the 

 crops mentioned, grown in drills and culti- 

 vated, the effects in the way of weed 

 destruction are very marked. As all these 

 crops are of use only for feeding stock on 

 the farm at home, the process of incessant 

 cropping, such as we have here described, 

 is helpful rather than otherwise to the fer- 

 tility of the soil. There is the further 

 advantage in thus keeping arable soils at 

 work, that the nitrates of the soil are 

 largely prevented from being washed out 

 by rains. 



7j. Stimulate the land to produce plenti- 

 fully. Weeds can be much more easily 

 dealt with when the land is kept constantly 

 stimulated to vigorous productivity than 

 when the soil is left to run down and 

 become infertile for lack of proper manur- 

 ing. When crops are strong, weeds do but 

 little harm in them, compared with the 



