order  to  obtain  tlic  best  possible  returns,  not  only  are  good  land  and 
favourable  seasons  necessary,  but  the  crops  must  also  be  cultivated 
in  a rational  manner.  The  plants  that  form  a crop  require  the 
whole  of  their  space,  if  properly  apportioned  to  them,  for  their  free 
development,  and  they  cannot  be  expected  to  thrive  to  the  fullest 
degree  when  they  have  competitors  struggling  with  them  fora  share 
of  the  soil. 
Annual  crops,  the  cereals,  for  instance,  feel  this  competition  very 
much,  and  frequently  from  this  cause  alone  turn  out  complete  or 
partial  failures.  When  wheat  or  other  cereals  are  sown  in  land 
that  is  foul  with  wheat  germs,  their  growth  often  commences  simul- 
taneously, and  the  crop  plants  are  either  smothered  by  the  useless 
vegetation  or  suffer  seriously  in  their  struggle  for  existence.  Even 
if  by  chance  the  crops  are  enabled  to  make  a fair  amount  of  head- 
way, they  are  often  injured  afterwards  by  an  undergrowth  of 
weeds,  which  absorb  a large  amount  of  nutriment  and  moisture. 
On  the  other  hand,  in  thoroughly  clean  land,  cereal  and  other  crops 
are  able  to  get  a fair  start  and  make  good  headway  without  the 
interference  of  alien  plants. 
Crops  have  not  only  a better  chance  of  coming  to  perfection  in 
clean  land,  but  they  will  also  come  to  maturity  earlier,  as  a rule. 
This  is  an  advantage  that  all  farmers  must  appreciate,  but  es- 
pecially so  in  this  part  of  the  world,  where  cereal  crops  often  suffer 
from  the  effects  of  drv  weather  just  before  they  reach  maturity. 
In  many  cases  crops  would  not  suffer  materially  from  the  hot 
weather  if  their  growth  were  a little  more  advanced  before  it  set  in. 
Besides,  the  earlier  the  crops  are  the  less  liable  are  they  to  the  at- 
tacks of  those  fungoid  and  insect  pests  which  are  too  often  trouble- 
some to  our  farmers. 
To  Eradicate  Weeds. — Weeds  may  be  divided  into  two  classes, 
and  they  require  somewhat  different  treatment  to  eradicate.  The 
annual  kinds,  which  are  the  most  numerous,  can  generally  be  des- 
troyed or  kept  under  without  much  difficulty  by  allowing  an  oc- 
casional fallow  and  ploughing  them  in  before  they  perfect  their 
seeds.  When  the  annual  kinds  of  weeds  have  been  plentiful  in  a 
grain  or  other  crop,  it  will  be  advisable  to  take  steps  for  their 
eradication  as  soon  as  the  harvest  is  over.  They  will  generally 
start  with  the  advent  of  the  first  rain,  and  the  operation  of  germina- 
tion will  be  facilitated  by  a slight  scarifying  of  the  surface  soil 
previously. 
Weeds  that  are  perennial  in  their  habit  are,  however,  somewhat 
more  diflicult  to  deal  with;  but  labour  and  patience  will  generally 
keep  them  under.  In  order  to  free  land  from  this  kic.d  of  vegeta- 
tion, it  must  be  left  uncropped  for  a time,  and  the  surface  frequent- 
ly broken  with  the  plough  or  scarifier.  When  land  gets  foul  with 
these  kind  of  weeds,  it  is  better  to  throw  it  out  of  crop  for  a season 
or  two  than  to  persist  in  cultivation  that  will  necessarily  give  but 
poor  and  unsatisfactory  returns,  d'he  excuse  with  many  for  sloven- 
liiu\‘*s  in  cultivation  is  the  want  of  time  to  dcj  things  properly,  and 
