WEEDING. 



adopt every neceffary regulation and precaution from his above has obferved, that it is not enough to attend to weed- 

 own obftrvation and experience. It will, therefore, only ing in the time of tillage-culture only : it is proper that grafs- 

 be needful to flightly touch upon the different particulars fields and lands fhould likewife be kept free of all noxious, 



or objefts. As the fubjefk of fallows has been already con- 

 fidered and explained, it is unneceffary to be further noticed 

 in this place. In regard to fold-yard manure, it (hould al- 

 ways, it is fuppofed, in this intention, undergo a ferment- 

 ation before it is laid upon the land, fufficient to prevent the 

 future vegetation of any feeds that may be contained in it : 

 but it fhould Ukewife be kept as free as poffible from the 

 feeds of weeds ; and perhaps it is bed laid on grafs-land, 

 applyiuT only lime, or other manures certain of being clean, 

 to fallows ; or if dung not certainly clean from feeds be 

 laid on fallows, it (hould be applied on them early enough 

 to give time to have the feeds to vegetate and fpend them- 

 felves before fowing for the crop. It is faid, that every 

 one knows the neceffity of clean feed-corn to the producing 

 of a clean crop, but fometimes neglefts to apply fuch know- 

 ledge ; and indeed clean feed-grain is not always to be pro- 

 cured. If weed-feeds be fufpefted, they (hould, as often 



hurtful, and unproiitable herbage. The negligence which 

 may be feen in this refpeft, in many diftrifts and places, is, 

 it is faid, (hameful. Paftures and other grafs-lands are 

 fometimes fo clofe covered with large weeds, that the paf- 

 turing animals have fcarcely room to pick up a mouthful ; 

 and thus the vegetable food and other matters, which fhould 

 nourifh good and wholefome pafture and other grafs-land 

 herbage, is confumed by ufelefs weeds. And fpeaking of 

 different coarfe and difgufting weed-plants, fuch as the 

 dock, ragweed, bur, corn, and fow-thiftles, and fome 

 others, it is remarked, that the two lail are of the fort 

 which extend their vivacious roots below the reach of the 

 plough, when the land is in tillage. It is not, it is faid, 

 uncommon with thofe who affeft to pay a little more atten- 

 tion than ordinary to their paftures and grafs-lands, to cut 

 down thefe plants in the flower. If this be done in a rainy 

 time, or if fuch rain falls foon after, the water defcending 



as poffible and prafticable, be dreffed out before fowing the into the frefh cut wound of the ftem, debilitates the roots, 

 corn. The weeding of crops is generally imperfeftly per- and difcourages the growth of the plants for a time, though 

 formed, and is likely to continue fo, it is thought, in many they are feldom wholly deftroyed by it ; but that if fuch 



places, on account of the difficulty of procuring hands 

 enough for work which is only fo temporary in its nature. 

 Thiftles are generally only cut off, but they fhould always, 

 it is faid, by drawn up by tongs, or other tools for the 

 purpofe, and the other forts of weeds by the hand. The 

 hoe has yet been only of general ufe in turnip crops, nor is 

 it likely to extend further, unlcfs the drill hufbandry ihould 

 be more eftablifhcd ; nor even, in its prefent apphcation, 

 can proper hands enough be always, it is faid, procured at 

 fufficiently reafonable rates. As much, however, (hould 

 conftantly be done in all thefe ways as circumftances will 

 allow. In the laying down of land to grafs, the importance 



critical rains do not occur, frefh leaves immediately arife to 

 fupport the roots, and the cutting over has very little or no 

 effeft. They fhould confequently be annually pulled up by 

 the roots as foon as pofTible, after the flower begins to form 

 and fhew itfelf, taking advantage of the firft fhower which 

 happens to fall, to foften the ground and make them draw 

 up more freely. By purfuing this praftice regularly and 

 ileadily for a number of years, the deep lying perennial 

 roots are, it is faid, gradually weakened, and fall into de- 

 cay. Nor is cutting down the ragweed of much avail. 

 Some of the plants die, but many furvive, and branch out 

 more copioufly the enfuing year. But this plant not being 



of clean grafs-feed is well underllood ; yet the feeds of deep-rooted, is eafdy pulled up when in flower, if the 



docks are not unfrequently fown with clover, and thofe of 

 other pernicious weed-plants with ray-grafs. In all cafes, 

 the utmoft attention fliould be paid to the fowing of clean 

 feed of this fmall kind. And in the weeding of grafs-land, 

 docks and thiftles are often mown, or only cut off, but 

 they fhould always be rooted up ; for which purpofe, 

 docking irons formed npon fufficiently good principles are 

 moftly had recourfe to. They are, it is fuppofed, every 



ground be foft at the time. The bur-thiftle being a biennial 

 plant, may be killed at any time by cutting it under the 

 firtl leaves. The common dock is the moft troublefome 

 plant in grafs-land, efpecially in clayey foils, where it is 

 always the moft frequent. Every bit of its long tap-root 

 left in the ground will continue to vegetate and grow, and 

 at length form a new ftem and plant. It fhould, in all 

 cafes, be fully turned out with the dock-iron, in the manner 



where well underftood, confifting fimply of a forked or already noticed, as foon as the flowering-ftem is formed ; 



clefted fpike of iron, which is jogged within the cleft, and 

 fixed to the end of a wooden lever : this being forced down 

 by the hand or foot, fo as to inclofe the root of a dock, or 

 large thiftle, will eafily bring it up, particularly after rain ; 

 but mowing them off, being done with more expedition, is 

 often pradlifed ; and they are fometimes left undifturbed, 

 and fuffered to fcatter their feeds without any effort being 

 made to prevent it, which is very injurious, and always to 

 be avoided as much as poffible. It is ftated too, that upon 

 breaking up a turf or fward, it is underftood in the writer's 

 neighbourhood, that unlefs a wheat fallow or a turnip crop 

 compofe a part of the tillage, the land will be injured, and 

 rendered fouler, and more addifted to produce weeds : this 

 notion is, it is believed, a juft one, though often deviated 

 from in praftice, for the fake of prefent profit, and under 

 the delufive idea of cleaning the land again next tillage. It 

 is, however, well afcertained, that land well gleaned by 

 former good management will beft bear this deviation ; for 



and as the plants of this kind rife at two feafons, the pafture 

 or grafs fields fhould be weeded twice in the fummer, that 

 no feeds may be allowed to ripen. The roots fhould be 

 fully expofed to the heat and drought ; for if they be in a 

 moift place, they will continue to vegetate on the furface, 

 as they lie and ftrike out fide-roots into the ground. All 

 other inefculent herbage on paftures and other forts of grafs 

 grounds, and all weeds bearing feeds by the fides of roads, 

 ditches, brooks, and other fuch places, fhould be cut down 

 too, when they begin to flower, in order to prevent their 

 increafe by their feeds being difperfed over the grafs fields 

 and grounds. 



The writer of the Gloucefterfhire Report on Agriculture, 

 in reprobating the praftice of confining the bufinefs of 

 weeding almoft folely to the tillage-lands, while the mea- 

 dows and paftures are almoft wholly neglefted, and over- 

 run with docks, thiftles, nettles, hemlock, and many other 

 fuch weed-plants, remarks, that it is fuppofed by the 



the fewer weeds it contains at breaking up, the lefs will be farmers, that the fcythe will be early enough to cut them 

 the increafe of them during the tillage or after-culture of off: the feeds, however, are generally ripened and difperfed 

 the ground. before mowing time ; and if not, they are carried with the 



The writer of the Elements of Agriculture noticed hay to the ftall, and mixed with the dung, or into the paf- 

 ture 



