147

Section XV.-PLANTS NOXIOUS IN AGRI-CULTURE.

Annual Weeds, or such as grow wild in Fields, and that donot produce any Food for Cattle.

Many weeds are troublesome to the farmer amongst his crops; butwhich, by affording a little fodder at some season or other, in somadegree compensate for their intrusion. Rut as the following are notof this description, they ought at all times to be extirpated: for itshould be recollected, that the space occupied by such a plant would,in many instances, afford room for many ears of wheat, &c.

The following are annuals, and chiefly grow among arable crops,as corn, &c. As these every year spring up from seeds, it is a verydifficult matter for the farmer, to prevent their increase, especiallysince the practice of fallowing land has become almost obsolete. It isa fact worthy notice, that the seeds of most of the annual weeds willlie in the ground for many years, if they happen to be placed deep: sothat all land is more or less impregnated with them, and a fresh sup-ply is produced every time the land is ploughed. It is therefore, pro-per that annual weeds of every description should be prevented asmuch as possibly can be from going to seed, for one year's crop willtake several seasons to eradicate. The only effectual mode we areacquainted with of getting rid of annual weeds is, either by hoeingthem up when young, or by cutting the plants over with any instru-ment whilst in bloom; for it should be observed, that those neverspring from the roots if cut over at that period of their growth, whichoftentimes may be easily accomplished.

I once observed a crop of burnet, in which Brumus secalirms (LobCrass) was growing, whose spike stood a considerable height abovethe crop, and several acres of which a boy or woman might have cutover in a short space of time : but it was not so : the grass seeds andburnet were suffered to ripen together, and no means could be de-02