IMMEDIATE AFTEE- MANAGEMENT OF NEW PASTUEES. 99' 



well worth while to give these strong growing weeds early and 

 persistent attention. Thistles can be eradicated by repeatedly 

 chopping them off near to the ground with an old scythe until 

 they bleed to death. 



Should it be found by the middle of May that the plant has 

 failed, not a moment must be lost in shallow-ploughing or culti- 

 vating the land, breaking it down again into fine tilth, and re- 

 sowing. Supposing, however, that the seed has taken over the 

 main area, leaving some bare spots, these must have their crust 

 broken with a hoe, followed by a heavy rake, and be re-sown, 

 raked over, and again rolled down. When the plots which have 

 missed plant are too large for hand work, the harrow can be 

 employed instead of the hoe and rake. It will never do to 

 assume that the crop is all right. Eather assume that it is not 

 perfect until examination has shown the contrary. 



For grasses and clovers sown with corn only one thing can 

 be done until the corn is cut, and this is to go over the ground 

 to remove thistles, &c. It is always worth doing on a corn 

 crop alone, but, when grasses are there also, the operation 

 becomes imperative. Immediately the corn is off the ground 

 the whole field should be carefully examined to ascertain 

 whether there is a plant or not. After a wet harvest there will 

 be no difficulty in deciding promptly. But in a dry season 

 I do not advocate a hasty judgment. The dry stubble, 

 the parched ground, and the brown herbage all help to mis- 

 lead. A few hours of warm soaking rain may put a new com- 

 plexion on an old face in so brief a time as to produce an almost 

 magical efiect, and therefore it is not wise to be in too great a 

 hurry to pronounce upon success or failure. I know an instance 

 where a spring sowing of permanent grasses was followed by a 

 dry summer, and when the corn was cut no plant at all was 

 visible. A top-dressing of four hundredweight per acre of bones 

 and superphosphate was apphed with such good effect that in 

 the following summer a heavy crop of hay was cut. 



If the plant is evidently all right, there can be no doubt that 



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