The patron of husbandry., 1879-07-26
SOW CLEAN SEED ON CLEAN


GROUND.
Couch grass which is known by n different
name in almost every locality, being called witch
grass, twitch quack, dog grass, wheat grass etc,
is one of the most troublesome growths which in
fest wheat fields and meadows. The plant is
about two feet high; it has rough and somewhat
hairy leaves, and is trailing at the lower JOINTS is
perennial and propagates itself both by seeds and
jointed stems and roots 1t is insidious creep
er, multiplying and ramifying itself in all drec
tions; each joint is capable of producing a new
plant, which in turn, if not DESTROYED will pro-
duce others without number Consequently,
couch grass appears to the farmer in the light
of an aggressive need. Experienced cultivators
wacth for it, and dig it up and burn it on its first
appearance, SO that it may not become established
in their fields Its seeds once mixed with wheat,
soon give it such set to make foul the field for
years, unless a summer faow is resorted to-
To dig or plow couch grass up in wet weather,
will only assist in its propagation. Its eXtermi-
nation is best accomplished, when it has gained
possession of field, by blowing and turning the
land often during hot, dry weather. In England
the rule for destroying weeds, especially couch
quack grass, three powings. Charles Heller,
of Elmra, n. Y, recently told the members of
the Farmers Club of that place that he believed
the true way to raise wheat free from weeds is by
summer faliow, as the ordinary plan of cropping
makes no provision for clearing the land ofweeds,
Farmers raise oats and barley. and turn the stub
BILE for wheat with every kind of foul seeds that
may have ripened to grow and ripen their seeds
With WHICH grass SSCu 10 SONll IL 10
crowded out Mr.. Heller did not presume to say
| that every seed will be destroyed by a summer
fallow but all that will interfere with the wheat
| crop may be thus killed. His practice on very
| weedy land is to plow once in June as early as
possible again in July, and yet again in August.
| This method, in his opinion, cleans and renovates
the land so that the succeeding crop may have the
full strength of whatever exists in the so and
the grass-seeding after the wheat is much more
| likely to be good
The opinion of Mr. Heller in regard to sum-
mer fallow for weedy fields previous to sowing
wheat, is that entertained by majority of far
mers, though many oppose summer tallow on
the plea that it is too costly. The mechanical et
| feet of summer following, especially IN heavy
lands is quite noticeable and its benefits are dis
| tributed over series of crops. Where summer
| fallow is considered too expensive, the Piowlng
| done in June before weeds have matured their
seed is frequently followed with cultivating the
land by keeping the surface raw all the time, with
good result.
IL Cookie is too familiar to every farmer to call
for description. 1t is an annual and requires 10
be sown euch year, hence it is easily eradlcateo II
taken in time. Its purple leaves make II conspl,
cuous during the blossoming period, and hand
or two sent through the field can soon dispose OF
| it by pulling up the plants. When aiiowed TO
ripen with the wheat and be harvested with 1t,
being of the same size with the grain, 1T passes
thronoh the sieve and ressts the efforts of the fan
to separate it. owing to its weight
| There are few if any, mills that will clean
wheat entirely of cockle chess, ETC., and it is still
more difficult to separate, thereoreto insure clean
!, wheat, it is of paramount Importance that be-
ginning be made in the right direction by sowing
Clean seed on clean SOIL When, for any reason,
this has not been effected, and weeds of whatever
character make their appearance, let there be nc
delay in going over the entire field, digging Oh
pulling them out root and branch before they are
of an age to propagate themselves either by seed
Joint or root. The cost of time and labor expen
ded in wedding a wheat field is more than repaid
in harvest of grain free from foreign substance
to say nothing of having the field left in clear
condition for the next crop.