— 
a 
WEED. 
countries, where the soil is drier, and the climate 
more temperate. So far as respects couch-grass, 
there is no other way of getting rid of it, than 
by picking and gathering every root during the 
summer season, when the land is in preparation 
for turnips, or when the radical process of sum- 
mer fallow is executed. The same observation 
may be made with regard to knot-grass, which, 
though not so general as couch, must be regard- 
ed asa most hostile adversary to improved hus- 
bandry. To get rid of these weeds, many farm- 
ers have employed girls with baskets to follow 
their ploughs, and to pick up every root as fast 
as it was turned up. A practice of this kind 
certainly deserves commendation; for were it 
steadily followed, the country would soon be 
freed from these destructive roots. In short, 
attention to the gathering of couch and knot 
grass must never be relaxed, otherwise these 
enemies will soon regain their primitive strength ; 
but if that attention is constantly bestowed, the 
labour of every rotation will become more easy 
in the execution, and the expense will in a pro- 
portional degree be lessened. With regard to 
docks and thistles, the method of getting rid of 
them is perfectly obvious; all that is required 
being to fallow the ground well in the first in- 
stance, and to exterminate the plants after- 
wards whenever they appear. This may be ac- 
complished by pulling them up by the root, in 
every corn-field, when the weather is moist, and 
cutting them over in all the grass lands before 
they have perfected their seeds; though cutting 
should only be resorted to when the weather is 
so dry as so prevent pulling these weeds out of the 
ground. The same attention ought to be paid to 
the destruction of nettles, ragweeds, mugwort,and 
the mountain daisy. Every one of these weeds 
ought to be pulled up by the root, if that measure 
can be accomplished ; but where that is impracti- 
cable, they ought to be regularly cut down by the 
scythe, in which way their increase will at least 
be prevented. This operation should always be 
performed before their seeds arrive at maturity, 
otherwise the ground may thence be stocked 
with fresh seed, to an extent not much less than 
if the cutting process had been neglected. As to 
‘tussilago, the best time for destroying that plant, 
is, in the months of September and October, after 
the crops are cut, at which season the plants are 
at their full growth, and easily discovered. The 
method then to be used is, to pull up and carry 
off every stock or root that can be laid hold of; 
and it will be observed, by inspecting the roots 
at about an inch below the surface, that a num- 
ber of buds, about the size of a pea, spring from 
that part of the root, which flowering, afterwards 
produce fresh seed. If these are allowed to stand 
till next spring, they will flower, and shed their 
seeds in spite of every possible attention, the 
flowers coming out early in April, according to 
the season; so that it is impracticable to prevent 
their increase by any other method than the one 
WEEVIL. 
suggested. If this plan, however, is persevered 
in for a few years, success is indisputable ; though 
‘it must be remarked, that much depends upon 
performing the operation of pulling, as early as 
the crops are cut,—for if delayed for any length of 
time, the leaves wither and fall off,—after which 
the roots cannot easily be discovered. If the 
weather is moist, there will be little difficulty in 
pulling up the roots to a sufficient depth; but 
should it be dry, or the ground hard, it is proper 
to furnish the pullers with a small piece of iron, 
split at the one end like the toes of a hammer, 
and about ten inches long, to enable them to get 
the root up from the required depth. A few 
boys or girls, under the direction of a careful 
overseer, will execute this work at a trifling ex- 
pense; and care must be taken, that all the roots 
so pulled be carried off and destroyed, for, if al- 
lowed to remain at the sides of stone-walls or 
hedges, they will flower in the succeeding spring, 
and shed their seeds; which, being of a winged 
description, will fly about the field in all direc- 
tions. Where land is much infested with this 
pernicious weed, it is proper to examine it in the 
spring months, lest any of the stalks should have 
been missed in autumn; and in this way, by at- 
tention and perseverance, ultimate success may 
be relied on. With regard to crowfoot, itis only 
to be destroyed by fallowing the land completely 
during dry weather. By that means, this bane- 
ful weed is easily destroyed; but if the sea- 
son is wet, hand-picking must be resorted to, 
otherwise fields infected with it will only be 
partially cleaned. Briars and brambles are like- 
wise injurious to arable lands; and their roots 
being placed below the operation of the plough, 
they cannot be pulled up. To get rid of them, 
they must be dug out with great care. On grass 
lands, the seeds of furze or whins, and of broom, 
more especially where the soil is of a soft nature, 
are also troublesome. They should be pulled up 
in the state of seedling plants, when the land is 
saturated with moisture, which can easily be 
effected.” 
WEEDING. See Weep. 
WEEVIL. The snouted family of hard wing- 
cased beetles.. It is one of the most destructive 
families of insects which plague the cultivators of 
the soil and the owners of agricultural produce ; 
and possesses a manifold, searching, and melan- 
choly interest, in particular, to farmers, practical 
gardeners, corn-merchants, maltsters, and forest- 
ers. Its characters are well defined, and ena- 
ble a very superficial observer readiy to distin- 
guish its species from those of all other fami- 
lies, except. perhaps the wood-eaters. See the 
article Bostricnips. The snout or rostrum of 
a weevil is its grand characteristic; and this, in 
all cases, is an anterior process or projection, 
more or less elongated,—and does not consist of 
the parts of the mouth as in flies and other suc- 
torial tribes, but is an extension of the head, 
having the usual oral organs situated at its ex- 
