THE 



ENEMIES TO AGRICULTURE. 



PART I. BOTANICAL. 



On the Weeds of Agriculture. 



A WEED is any plant that is useless for, or noxious to, any 

 intended purpose in the production of vegetables. It has 

 no definite application to any particular plant or species of 

 plants; but whatever plants grow among corn, grass, or 

 in hedges, and which are either of no use to man, or inju- 

 rious to crops, are denominated "weeds;" and every plant 

 which grows in a field other than that of which the seed has 

 been sown by the husbandman, and inasmuch as it in- 

 terferes with the intended crop, should be carefully eradi- 

 cated. Farming is, that nothing grow on land except what 

 is sown ; and though this object may not be attainable, as 

 there may ever be a wide difference between possible and 

 ideal excellence, yet the nearer we approach to it the nearer 

 we approach to perfection. And if it be absurd to expect 

 perfection in any art or performance, there can be neither 

 foolishness nor absurdity in making the nearest possible 

 approaches to it. 



Though the plants of nature which are called "weeds" 

 are both useless and injurious to the purpose of the farmer, 

 we must not suppose that on that account they have been 

 created in vain, or that nature has used its efforts in pro- 

 ducing useless objects. The mind that is capable of behold- 

 ing the creation in a comprehensive and condensed focus, 

 will arrive at a very different conclusion, and will not be- 

 lieve that any productions are useless, even those for which 



B 



