Clearing Land of Perennial Weeds.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 813, 30 September 1887, Page 19

Clearing Land of Perennial Weeds.

It is not an easy task to attack and destroy those villainous weeds which propagate by underground stems ; or by roots which, extending themselves near the surface of the ground, throw out buds which produce slioot a and independent plants every few inches through the soil. We have one * grip,’ so to speak, upon all this class of weeds ; they all need air—they have to breaths. We may plough them, going deep, harrowing thoroughly, raking off the ground with long-toothed tools, and thus collect masses of the roots for burning, and this practice will be found to be only a severe check to them for one season. If upon land so treated we can put some hoed crop which will receive almost constant, attention and be kept perfectly clean, the hoe going always below the top of the soil, so that the weeds will get neither light nor air : and after the crop is taken off still no chance given for them to see the light, or get a breathing spell, there may be hope that in about two years we can say we are free from the worst of them. Even then, for several years, bits of root that have somehow retained vitality are likely to show life above ground, and these,” of course, should receive prompt special treatment as soon as discovered. Taking an enlarged idea of weeds—to inelude brush, and swamp, roadside and hedge-

i row growths, from briars to alders—we remark that thsy may be destroyed by close cutting early in the season, following up the cutting as soon as any considerable growth appears. We.may allow growth early in the season, when the root is strong, for the sake of exhausting it; but ih dry hot weather every shoot Bhould be cut, pulled up, or trodden down, so that complete exhaustion and death shall take place. When such growths are cut close to the ground in April, again about the middle of June, and as they grow during the season, the next year will see but few of them.