The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-06-13
farMlers' GnlM1u,l>
:" Speed the PLOsU."
For The Agis Dc Mtelligencer.
Weeds and How to get Rid of Them.

Whatever plants infest the farmers grounds
ana are worthless as objects ofcultivation
are embraced under the general name of
weeds. In other words, all plants, howev-
er useful they may be as distinct objects
OF attention, when scattered through a crop
OF other useful plants, to their injury, may
DC considered dead and treated as such,
ana carefully cradicated. A single weed
aLoWed to mature may become five hun
dred the following season and ten thousand
the year after
weeds are propagated by poor system
OF tlllage, and the use of unfermented man.
ures. The mode of Graduating weeds
must depend on their duration and nature,
| Wnetner their roots are perennial OF die
OH after the plant has borne seed. Annual
weeds are most easily gotten rid of Hoed
crops will destroy most of them. The seeds
OF annual weeds are brought to the fields in
anferao,Atost stoLlo manu- u, where Jne caIJIC
| feed on hay OF straw, swallow the seeds.
whlchpass through them undigested. Seeds
OF annual weeds will lie dormant for LONG
while, when buried deep, and vegetate as
soon as the pillow brings them up again.
We pass on now the perannial weeds !:
ana the most troublesome to us are the diff
OF winch increase and multiply to an alarm
ing extent. There seems to be three varie-
Ties OF the Thistle-the small plant that
pears 1rult about the size of O raspberry :;
the one that grows four feet high and bears
a purple Hover, and the one that simply
throws out large leaves, that grow and lay
Just on the top of the ground, $40 es sssas,
TO pear no flower or seed-sometimes caffro'
Canada Thistle" The one that bears the
fruit is called "sodom Apple" There are
various receipts for getting rid of these
pests: Covering with straw to the depth
OF loot so; sowing salt on them, at the
rate OF twenty bushels to the acre. burning
over the field and frequent moving.
think the plant should be allowed to
attain nearly its full growth. When it has
drawn largely on the vitality of its roots,
II the patch be large the pillow should be
used to throw every particle under the sur
lace. What the pillow don't cover, cover
with hoe. If the patch is small, a spade
can be used to cut off the crown of the root.
AS soon as the tops show themselves again,
go through the blowing OF spading process,
and continue till the middle of autumn,
when you will be pretty sure to have your
land free.
1t is most difficult to get rid of the thistle
when the ground has been worked in hoed
crops. In pastures they are less hurtfuf.-
Running briars are as difficult to get rid of
as the thistle family. Careless cultivation
brings them, but careful cultivation will
rid you of them. Of the various ways of
clearing them from our fields, 1 may men
tion-burnlng over the field in the early
spring; putting in hoed crops for while,
following with wheat or grass getting a
good set OF grass; manuring heavily with
lime and frequent mowings. would pillow
the ground early in the spring, (supposing
l had field infested with briars,) and very
carefully prepare for corn crop, or any 9TH
er hoed crop; keep the crop well worked
during the season; hoeing and cultivating
as often as the briars show themselves.
Following this crop in the fall with wheat
the wheat being drilled in with good
sharp drill; the drill being very useful in
tearing up what briars grow after the last
corn working. Follow with wheat again
preparing the ground very nicely with good
sharp implements. Drill the wheat and
sow heavily with timothy, and in the fol-
lowing spring with clover, and will war
rant that you have no more running briars
in that field, until you allow them to come
again by careless cultivation. The whole
operation having been. accomplished with
out any extra cost. Ifyour ground be poor,
1T is necessary to manure while you are
going through these operations. Sheep
raising on filthy farms believe to be
good thing to do, as the sheep will eat
most of the weeds the cattle won't touch
but before going into sheep we must eradi-
cate the dogs, which heretofore has been
harder thing to do than to get rid of the
weeds.
One principle affects the vitality of weeds,
which should never be lost sight of in at
tempting their destruction. 1t is we'll
know law of vegetation that the growth
OF the sap is affected by the leaves of the
plant, and it is the growing sap that ena-
bles it to maintain its existence By pre-
venting the development of the leaves and
consequently the growth of the sap, the
life Of the plant will be sacrificed. The
principle, therefore, on which to work in
destroying all sorts of weeds, is to deprive
them of their leaves as soon as they appear.
PRIESTHOOD.