44 \VKEDS OF FARM LAND 



weeds. In this way a good farmer may be seriously handi- 

 capped if he has a careless neighbour, and much money is spent 

 annually for labour in weeding that might be saved if some 

 measure of legislative control were introduced. However, the 

 Testing of Seeds Order, 191 7 , l may have an indirect beneficial 

 action by encouraging farmers to harvest their crops as free 

 from weed seeds as possible. 



Weeds are ubiquitous. The soil is full of seeds awaiting 

 opportunity to germinate ; weed seeds lurk in hedges, trees, 

 farm implements, and in all sorts of nooks and crannies ; wind 

 carries others from long distances ; water and animals all play 

 their part in distribution. It is thus obvious that it is impos- 

 sible to keep any farm entirely free from weeds, but neverthe- 

 less a great deal may be done by way of prevention. The 

 chief preventive measures that are practicable on any farm 

 are : 



(1) To sow clean seed, free from weed seeds. 



(2) To prevent any weeds from forming seed and so re- 

 producing themselves in that way. 



(3) To clean farm machinery, especially if borrowed, to 

 prevent weed seeds being carried from place to place. 



(4) To avoid throwing rubbish from ricks, barns, and 

 other sources on to arable land. 



(1) The official Seed Testing Station is prepared to ex- 

 amine any sample of agricultural seeds that may be submitted 

 and to report on the nature and quantity of the injurious weed 

 seeds that may be included, in addition to reporting the per- 

 centage germination and purity of the crop seed itself. The 

 Testing of Seeds Order requires that these particulars shall be 

 furnished by the vendor to the buyer before the transaction is 

 completed, so that the onus rests on the purchaser if he is 

 foolish enough to buy seed containing a total of more than 

 i per cent, of such injurious weed seeds as docks (Rumex con- 



glomeratus, Murr ; R. obtusifolius, L. ; R. crispus, L.), sheep's 

 sorrel (R. acetosella, L.), wild carrot {Daunts carota, L.), York- 

 shire fog (Holcus lanatus, L.), soft brome grass (Bromus mollis, 

 L. et spp.\ suckling clovers (Trifolium dubiunt, Sibth ; T. pro- 

 cumbens, L. ; T. parviflorum, Ebrh, and T. angulatum, Waldst). 



(2) In order to prevent weeds from forming seed, methods 

 of cultivation suitable to the particular circumstances should 

 be put into operation. All these are identical with those 

 described for eradication in the following section, but they 



1 Testing of Seeds Order (1917), Jour. Bd. Agric., XXIV, pp. 1031-1039. 



