THE WEEDS OF THE FARM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 6

THE WEEDS OF THE FARM.

On almost aJI farms weeds form a considerable portion of the vegetation, and in many places they require as much attention and expenditure of labour as any of the cultivated plants.

A weed is a plant out of place. This is the simplest definition of the term from an agricultural point of view. A weed is, no doubt, a useless or noxious plant ; but a plant that may be fairly enough, according to the latter definition, be classed as a weed in one place may not be a weed at all when grown somewhere else, or even when grown in the same place under different circumstances. All the grasses, for example, are weeds, when they come up m our cultivated fields. Moreover, there is, perhaps, no plant which has not its uses in the economy of Nature if we only understood them. It is, therefore, more correct to describe a weed as "a plant out of

place" than as a useless or noxious plant. The predominance and perseverance in, the growth of weeds is remarkable. In every district pasture*, as well as arable lands, are more or less overrun with them,_ and the growing crops greatly injured,) while the expense to which farmers ara put for weeding is very considerable. Wo naturally associate weeds with poor aad neglected soils, but weeds, like other plants, succeed be&t in rich lands. Every toil, however, has certain weeds indigenous to it, and the natural habits of some oS these plant i, together with their indigenous ch.iractei, le.uler them so much LuirchtTir and more vigorous than most of our cultivated plants that it ofben appears as if the more worthless the plant the more rapid and successful its growth. Tihe weeds of the farm are unfortunately very numerous. .Some cf them aia annuals, others are perennials, some are only propagated by seeds, other** have creeping roots-, and are propagated from these, while others again are propagated both by roots and from seeds. The seeds of some weeds, when covered too deeply, or when the conditions of air, temperature, and moisture are unfavourable for their germination, will lie a great many years in the soil without losing tho power of growth, while others if prevented" iroin germinating witihin a certain time will lose all power of growth in a f-ew months Dr years. Some feeds, such as clnrloek, are of the long-lived thiss, as, being of an oily natui-e, they resist decay evtn when lying in tvet soil.

This, though not the only cause, will often account for weeds of various kinds appearing in newly turned-up soil that had not been disturbed for a long period, and when chere is- reason to believe that no fresh see-ds could have been depositod for a considerable time. What is desirable to call special attention to at the present time is '" that weeds ore capable of being propagated by .seeds,"' and that farmers should ni'ilie every effort in their power to prevent them from producing seed. How is this to be accomplished? On all farms worked on what is called the mixed system, there are three clasps o£ crops — green crops, cereals, and grasp, and if these are properly managed no weeds need be allowed to produce seeds among them. The culture of the various greeis crops should leave the land in a thoroughly, clean condition, with the crops growing thereon in full possession of the soil. lit. the fields thus occupied the grubber and. hoe fhould be kept, well in evidence daring the next few months, and every attempt at> weed growth should be rigorously kept in. check.

All over tihe country fields carrying grain crops are at present to bs seen badly infested with thistle::, dock, and other weeds. No time should be jsost in getting them pulled out. Pastures should at this time be frequently yone over, and tho largo weeds, such as docks and thistles, dealt with individually, the docks dug out bodily, the thistles, viit through below the surface*, anj all other weeds cut as often as is necessary to prevent them from flowering. If neglected, the seeds produced by the weeds are blown about by -winds (in tha case of thistles the seeds are sometimes carried for miles), and all the efforts made to puppress them in tho tillage land will in such cases prove futile. The suppression of weeds is a matter which farmers should seriously consider* as a large quantity of plant food — that naturally existing in the soil, as well as that added in the shape of manure — it expended in producing these plants. Their destruction, therefore, is very essential, if only for the fact that their removal would save the soil from being djeprired of a, large quantity of valuable plant food which could bo more advantageously employed in the production of useful crops.