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ture ; but as thiftles, when cut either at an early period of 

 the feafon, or before much rain falls, are apt to fpring up 

 afrefh, and produce four or five ftems in place of one ; they 

 (hould, perhaps in every inftance, be pulled up by the roots, 

 or, if they be cut, the operation fhould be done with a 

 chifel within the ground, which is formed with a divifion 

 in the mouth of it, fo as to feize the ftem part of the plant, 

 and cut it deep down. See Weeding Dock-Spit. 



Weed, SecA See Fucus. 



Weed, Silver. See Cinquefoil. 



WEEDA, in Geography, a town on the E. coaft of the 

 ifleof Gilolo. N. lat. o° 15'. E. long. 127° 45'. 



WEEDEL, a town of the duchy of Holftein ; 7 miles 

 S.S.W. of Pinneburg. 



WEEDING, in Agriculture and Gardening, the opera- 

 tion of freeing crops of any kind from noxious weeds. On 

 the indifpenfible neceffity, and great utility of this praftice, 

 it is altogether needlefs to enlarge. See Weed. 



There are obvioudy two different methods to be princi- 

 pally employed in the removal and deftruftion of weeds ; one 

 of which occurs in the preparation of the land, and the 

 other during the growth of the crop. In the former me- 

 thod it is neceffary that fuch weeds as are of the root kind 

 fhould be diftinguifhed from thofe of the feedling defcrip- 

 tion, as the dellruftion and removal of them mull be effeft- 

 ed in different ways, and upon different principles. 



Weeding in garden-grounds is always a bufinefs that 

 fhould be regularly and well performed in both the circum- 

 ftances above-mentioned. Much may be frequently done in 

 the former cafe by properly ridging or laying up the ground 

 before the fevere winter-feafon fets in, and in reducing and 

 breaking it down in the early fpring or other time, forleveUing 

 it, and making it ready for putting in the neceffary crop, as the 

 root as well as the feedling weeds may be greatly extirpated 

 and deftroyed in thefe different operations ; the former 

 affording the ready means of taking out the firfl fort, and 

 the latter by putting them in the fprouting ftate, giving the 

 opportunity of deftroying the other. In the latter cafe, a 

 great deal will be effefted by the Heady and repeated appli- 

 cation of the hoe while the crops are upon the ground ; and 

 by good and careful hand-weeding, before the weeds have 

 had time to ripen and fhed their feeds. 



It has been remarked with great truth, in regard to the 

 extirpation and prevention of garden-weeds, that many will 

 almoft conftantly appear, from the feeds being brought by 

 the vrind ; as well as by being introduced by ufing raw 

 dung, particularly of hogs and horfes, which often contains 

 feeds poffefling their vegetative power, and the litter inter- 

 mixed therewith not unfrequently containing more ; which 

 ilrongly fhew that raw dung is very improper for gardens, 

 though often ufed, particularly for early and other potatoe- 

 crops, as it caufes much trouble and expence in weeding. 



Much labour in weeding muft necelTarily be faved, too, by 

 drawing up all feedling weeds in time, as they appear, and 

 before they have fown their feeds. 



The extirpation and removal of weeds from garden- 

 grounds are fomewhat differently effefted in various places : 

 in fome they principally ufe the fpade, and the three- 

 pronged or fanged fork, for cleaning out root-weeds ; but 

 the different kinds of hoes are employed for other purpofes, 

 of which the common ones are moftly made ufe of for 

 fcufHing over the furface, and thofe of the triangular and 

 parallelogramic form, for cutting up weeds, moulding up 

 and clearing growing plants, and loofening the furface of the 

 ground for promoting the fprouting of any feeds that may 

 be prefent, and other fuch ufes. With thefe the fcuffle or 

 fcuffler is fometimes had reconrfe to for cutting the weeds, 



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and working the furface of the land over in large gardens. 

 In the fmall planted broad-caft fown crops, the weeding can 

 only be well accomplifhed by performing the work by the 

 hand. See Hoe, Fork, Spade, Scuffle, &c. 



In regard to deftroying and removing weeds in tillage- 

 lands, it has been well obferved by Nailmith, in his " Ele- 

 ments of Agriculture," that when the ground is greatly 

 overrun with weeds, a complete winter and fummer fallow 

 will, for the moft part, be found unavoidable, in order to 

 get entirely quit of them. Rib-fallowing, before the winter 

 fets in, will, it is faid, prepare the foil for parting freely 

 with the vivacious roots, the ploughing and harrowing re- 

 quifite to tear them up when the fpring drought commences, 

 will pulverife and reduce it, and provoke the dormant and 

 inactive feeds to vegetate with the tirft moiifure ; by repeat- 

 ed turnings, during the fummer, the greateft part may be 

 made to vegetate, and be deftroyed as they rife ; and the vi- 

 vacious roots, which lie beyond the reach of the plough, by 

 being long prevented from exercifing their vegetating 

 powers, will be impared in vigour. When winter-wheat, or 

 any crop which is to ttand through that feafon, is intended 

 to be put in on fuch ground, it would be proper that the 

 feed fhould be fown in drills, that by ftirring the intervals 

 in the enfuing fummer, the tendency which moft foils have 

 to condenfe or confolidate too much when greatly pulverifed 

 or reduced in their parts, may be counterafted. If fpring- 

 feed be intended, the laft ploughing fhould be given to 

 the land before the winter's rain commences, and the field 

 be accurately and fully furface or furrow-drained, and laid 

 dry. The influence of the atmofphere during the winter 

 will, by thefe means, communicate the happy medium ef 

 confiftence, on which fo much depends ; and the foil, as 

 foon as it gets dry in the early fpring, will be in the beft or- 

 der for the reception of the feed at that time, and the 

 weeds the moft fully and effeftually deftroyed and re- 

 moved. 



But where ground has been under any tolerable manage- 

 ment, drill culture will, it is faid, for the moft part, fuit all 

 the purpofes of a clean fallow, or be the means of rendering 

 the land wholly free of weeds. In repeatedly turning the 

 intervals, moft of the annual weeds may be attacked in the 

 group, and be expeditioufly deftroyed as often as they 

 fpring up ; and the roots of the perennial ones be turned up 

 and expofed to the heat and drought, which, if not altoge- 

 ther extirpated, will have their progrefs checked and pre- 

 vented. But the rows (hould alfo be hand-weeded, and the 

 hand-hoe will not unfrequently be found an important im- 

 plement in this work. Drill culture may thus be partially 

 exercifed, in this intention, it is thought, every where with 

 great advantage, adapting the application to any particular 

 fituation or circumilances. For example, where alternate 

 courfes of tillage and grafs crops are adopted, in a courfe 

 of three years' tillage, the fecond might always be in the 

 drill manner ; or if there were manure to fpare, to keep a 

 field in good condition in tillage -crops for four years, both 

 the fecond and third might be in the drill method : the firft 

 on account of the tough turf or fward ; and the laft for the 

 fake of fowing the land down with grafs-feeds would be 

 more convenient in the broad-caft ftate : but the weeding 

 in thefe cafes fhould not be neglefted ; the larger weeds 

 efpecially ; and all thofe which are moft prevalent, and mofl 

 produftive of feed, fhould be taken out by hand labour, or 

 fome fuch means, when they begin to flower. By fuch 

 ftrift care and attention to weeding tillage-land and crops 

 and ftocking the ground with proper perennial graflfes when | 

 laid to reft, weeds would at length be fo much fubdued, it 

 is fuppofed, as to be feldom injurious to the farmer. 



The 



