37G 
Agiicultural Weeds. 
occupying Isolated spots in the centres of meadows. These can- 
not well be attacked by di<;ging them up. The best plan of 
treating them is to regularly mow them down when their stems 
grow a few inches above the surface of the ground. The prin- 
ciple upon which this is recommended is, tliat tlie leaves are 
absolutely necessary to the extension of the whole of the parts of 
a plant ; if, therefore, these are continued to be destroyed in 
proper time, the extinction of the underground stems is ulti- 
mately insured ; it will not do, however, to leave them until the 
usual period of mowing, as at that time the plants will have ad- 
^anced to maturity, and the leaf function have been fully per- 
formed. An observance of this law will be of great use in destroy- 
ing many weeds in situations where the roots cannot be got at : let 
it simply be borne in mind, as tlie leaves are the Iniir/s of the plant, 
never in such cases to alloto the lungs to develop themselves. 
The prevention of Weed-sowing. — Weeds are constantly 
being sown under many circumstances, the chief of which may 
be stated as follows : — 
Weeds are soiim toitk the seed for the crop. 
W^eeds are spread over the land hy manures. 
Weeds are perpetuated by being aJloiced to seed. 
Weeds are disseminated from road-sides and waste land, or 
from a badly managed farm to a good one, chiefly by ''''flying 
seeds. 
Sowing of Seeds. — That weeds are perpetuated notwithstand- 
ing the most careful preparation of the land by sowing them 
with our seeds, is a fact too well known to be disputed. Six 
years ago we saw a field sown with foreign flax-seed which came 
up full of black mjastard — Sinnpis nigra, much to the injury 
of the crop : this has ever since been a troublesome weed in 
the field, and has even been the moans of disseminating it over 
a great portion of a farm on which it was previously almost un- 
known. 
Again, many weeds are sown with clovers, seeds, sainfoin, 
and the like, which, though they may not make way during the 
covering of the ground with the crop, may yet appear in some 
futuro crop. 
From this it follows that too much care cannot l)e taken to get 
clean seed, and it wants but little botanical skill to detect the 
presence of weeds in a sample. Pure or clean seed is even worth 
paying a greater price for, as the reverse may entail trouble and 
expense for years. Any mechanical processes, tlierelore, which can 
be made available for cleaning seed are well worthy of patronage. 
A seedsman who will be careful in the preparation and collection 
of seed deserves the best support. In order also to assist in this 
