THE SUPPRESSION OF WEEDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3525, 4 October 1921, Page 10

THE SUPPRESSION OF WEEDS.

A trite subject—yes, and an important one, as weeds commonly usurp the place of the crop it is desired to grow, and farmers of arable land have to devote much time and trouble to their suppression. It requires the highest skill of the farmer to keep land clean—that is, from weeds, and not infrequently we see the occupier of land “bested” and areas given over to tlie “natural” produce of the soil instead of clovers, English and the best native grasses. The growing of a root crop is probably the best means known to farmers for suppressing weeds of all kinds, as roots sown in drills necessitate and permit of cleaning and inter-cultivation until growth of the roots is well advanced. Indeed, the state of a farmer’s root crop towards the efid of summer indicates very fairly the level of his farming ability. Weeds, of necessity, tend to lesson crop yields—that practically cannot be disproved. If we can keep root and cereal crops free of weed there is an infinitely better chance of securing decent pasture afterwards, always provided clean, high, germinating seeds and suitable grasses and clover mixtures are used. Foul land is an abomination, and seeding of weeds should, if possible, never he permitted. Experience teaches us that thorough weeding pays. A properly weeded area of land has produced double the crop of neglected land. Land hoed twice produced 37j tons of mangels per acre, but only 16g when weeding after singling was neglected. The truth of the saying “one year’s seeding means seven year’s weeding” can be realised perhaps if we recall the fact that mature charlock plants produce from 1000 to 4000 seeds, and a fair-size poppy plant anything from 10,000 to 50,000 seeds. The matter is worse, indeed, than it appears at first sight, as some of the seeds become covered over deeply perhaps and do not germinate all at once, but lie dormant for maybe several years and give a deal of trouble later on. Thus it is that one must farm on a rotation system, and at intervals introduce a root crop or other crops, which, in order to do well, must have a thorough cleaning. Then, the burning of all refuse such as screenings, sweeping from hay lofts, etc., suggests itself as useful work. The ploughing of land fairly deep will outwit many precocious weed plants and weed seeds, as they will rot if not particularly gifted to withstand burying deeply. Frequently, if arable land is lying a while, moderately tilled, the growth of weed seed 3 may te encouraged in order to down the lot by subsequent borrowings, etc. In this manner we can get quit of many annual and biennial weed plants. Great slaughter can sometimes be effected among these pests in a dirty paddock after harvest by lightly discing or harrowing the stubble in order to encourage annuals to sprout and grow a little. These can be either fed off with sheep or ploughed under with good effects. Some weeds, of course, must be forked out or got to the surface some how and burnt —conch, for instance. At every joint of their subterranean stems buds are produced which grow. To cut them to pieces by the hoc or plough is useless, for it- only serves to establish new eentre-s of growth, as every little portion is capable of development. Where land is infested with this plant the only remedy is to pull them bodily from the soil. A scarifier mnv do good work in conchy land by pulling out the slender rhizomes, which should he burnt. Fallowing of heavy soils is sometimes practised to clean the land with good results, but success depends a good deal on the subsequent handling iq the spi'ing. On sour or damp soils, draining and liming will often work wonders, while the latter is always a help in mitigating certain kinds of weed such ns sorrel and apurrey. Not the least valu-

able treatment of foul land may prove to be the growing of a smothering crop, and likewise a valuable aid to a following root crop. Suitable crops for such a purpose are mixtures of vetches or peas with oats, or _ >ye with a few beans, but when all i 3 said and done there is no better way of suppressing weeds of all kinds than by Rowing a root crop, and whilst arable farming lasts it will be hard to find a better method. When weeds dispute the possession of the land with a growing crop, they are capable at certain seasons of seriously affecting the supply of moisture. Weeds come quickly in the summer and grov. r rapidly and help to suck the soil dry. Then it is that those crons which cannot bo hoed begin to suffer, and the farmer learns how "difficult it is to raise a satisfactory crop upon a foul seed-bed.