277 



Care should be taken to burn such refuse as proceeds from 

 screenings, sweepings of haylofts and the like. Deep ploughing 

 is another very successful method of repression, as many seeds 

 and weeds rot when deeply buried. Harrow cultivation and tho 

 preparation of a good tilth before sowing will encourage weed 

 seeds to germinate and the seedlings may be destroyed by 

 further stirring of the soil. Many annual and biennial weeds 

 will thus be cleared away. The use of the horse-hoe is very 

 serviceable for cleaning spring-sown corn. Land on which 

 weeds are plentiful should be disced or lightly scarified 

 immediately after harvest. This will encourage annuals to 

 sprout and the young weeds can be ploughed in afterwards. 

 Hand pulling, digging with fork or spade a ad the total removal 

 of weeds are efficient but expensive methods, and should be 

 resorted to only when other plans have failed or are inapplicable. 

 In every case the weeds collected should be burned. Fallowing, 

 either bastard or bare, as a cleaning process, is largely practised 

 in heavy soils with good results. On sour, damp soil, liming 

 and draining will prove effective. Sheep's sorrel, corn 

 marigold, spurrey and some other weeds can be checked to a 

 considerable extent by a dressing of lime. Heavy smother 

 crops may also effect a good reduction; on foul land such crops 

 may prove very valuable before roots. Suitable crops for the 

 purpose are mixtures of vetches or peas with oats, or rye with 

 a few beans. In every system of ai'able farming the growth of 

 a root crop is the most important means of suppressing weeds 

 of all kinds. As a rule, the state of a farmer's root crop towards 

 the end of summer is a good indication of the level of his 

 farming. 



No one need unknowingly purchase seeds badly contaminated 

 with such injurious weed seeds as Docks or Sorrels, the Cranes- 

 bills, Wild Carrot, Yorkshire fog, or Soft Brome grass, as under 

 the Testing of Seeds Order, 1918, the seller is bound to disclose 

 the presence of these in a parcel of seed if they are present to 

 the extent of more than 1 per cent. 



It may also be added that Section 4 (10) of the Agriculture Act, 

 1920, enables notices to be served on the occupier of any land 

 on which injurious weeds are growing, requiring the occupier to 

 destroy such weeds. Regulations have been laid before Parlia- 

 ment and will be made shortly, enabling these powers to be 

 exercised in respect of land infested with Thistles. Docks or 

 Ra.izwort. 



