Weeds and Their Suppression. 465 



destroyed by further stirring of the soil. Repeated thorough 

 cultivation of this kind, taking care to keep the seeds near 

 the surface, will clear the ground of many troublesome annual 

 and biennial weeds, such as poppy, charlock and some species 

 of thistle. 



3. To destroy perennials, such as couch, bindweed, and 

 creeping thistle needs careful and well-directed effort. These 

 plants are propagated by bits of underground runners with 

 buds upon them, and it is easily possible by irregular and 

 partial cultivation to break up the runners and spread the 

 pieces all through the soil, thus making matters worse than 

 before. 



Shallow ploughing, followed by thorough harrowing and sub- 

 sequent collection of the weeds with cultivators or harrows 

 when the soil i^ in the right friable condition, is an excellent 

 practice where such perennials are concerned. Or the weeds 

 may be brought to the surface and left to the drying effects of 

 wind and sun. 



4. Total removal of weeds is the most efficient means of 

 destroying them. This may be accomplished by hand pulling, 

 digging with fork or spade, or collecting by means of the harrow 

 after being loosened with the plough and other implements. 

 Some of these methods are expensive, and are only adopted in 

 special cases where other plans are inapplicable. In every 

 case where weeds have been collected by hand care should be 

 taken to destroy them effectually ; the practice of throwing 

 them on one side, into ditches or under hedges, is a reprehensible 

 one, for docks and thistles so treated are sometimes able to 

 perfect their flowers and seed. 



5. All weeds whatsoever can be destroyed by judicious cutting 

 with spade, hoe, or scythe. Reckless and ill-timed cutting may 

 be, however, a potent means of encouraging what we desire to 

 suppress. 



Many weeds when cut near the ground send up several stems 

 from buds on the rootstock, and this is especially the case 

 among perennials, such as nettles, thistles, docks, bindweed and 

 other common weeds. These secondary shoots are produced 

 at the expense of food stored below ground in the previous 

 season of growth, and their growth is therefore exhausting or 



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