178 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 
our own, and thus the dandelions and plantains find 
a chance to live. So the best treatment for a 
weedy lawn is more grass. Loosen up the poor 
places with an iron garden rake, scatter a little 
fertilizer, and then sow heavily of grass seed. Do 
not plow up the lawn, for then you undo all that 
has been accomplished; you kill all the grass and 
leave all the ground open for a free fight with 
every ambitious weed in the neighborhood. If the 
farmer occupies only half the surface of his field 
with oats, the other half is bound to be oecupied 
with mustard or wild carrot or pigweed; but if his 
land is all taken with oats, few other plants can 
thrive. So, a weedy farm is a poorly farmed farm. 
But if it does get foul and weedy, then what? 
Then use a short, quick, sharp rotation. Keep the 
ground moving or keep it covered. No Russian 
thistle or live-for-ever or jJimson-weed ean ever keep 
pace with a lively and resourceful farmer. 
THE LESSON OF -NURSERY LANDS. 
The injurious cffects of leaving soils bare, and 
of tilling at untimely seasons, are well illustrated 
in most nursery plantations. The best nursery 
lands are the “strong” Jands, or those which con- 
tain a basis of clay, and these are the ones which 
soonest suffer under unwise treatment. The nur- 
sery land is kept under clean culture, and it is, 
therefore, deeply pulverized. There is practically no 
herbage on the soil to protect it during the winter. 
