Agricultural.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2403, 3 December 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

Agricultural.

Tin; annual report of tho American Department of Agriculture contains some papers that are worth republishing. Mr George Vascy, botanist of the department, gives the following : HINTS ON KILLINIi WEEDS. 1. Plants cannot live indefinitely deprived of their leaves. Hence preventing their appearance above the surface will kill them sooner or later. 2. Plants have greater need for their leaves, and can be more easily killed in tbe growing season than when partially dormant. 3. Cultivation in a dry time is most injurious to weeds and beneficial to crops. 4. Avoid tbe introduction of weeds in manure or litter or from weedy surroundings. Some gardeners use no stable manure on grounds they desire to keep especially clean, relying on commercial fertilisers and the ploughing under of green crops. 5. After a summer crop has ripened, instead of allowing the land to grow up to weeds it is often well to sow rye or some other crop to cover the ground and keep hem down. G. Give every’ part of tlie farm clean cultivation every few years, either witii a hoed crop, or, if necessary, with a fallow. 7. It is often stated that catting weeds while in flower will kill them. This is only reliable with biennials, und with them only when done so late that much of the seed will grow. 8. If the ground is kept well occupied with other crops weeds will give much less trouble. Keep meadows and roadsides well seeded and plough-land cultivated, except when shaded by crops.”