Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, first edition - Volume I, A-B.pdf/78

 52 A G R I C U L T U R E. efFedual means of rooting out quicken-grafs, and other few years will effedtually deftroy whins. It is certain root-weeds of the fame nature,. If the foil be hard and that the feeds of whins will not vegetate unlefs they are HiIF, it is the fooner cleared of weeds by being laid Out allowed to lie in the earth undifturbed for a confiderable in grafs; But a foft fpungy foil requires to be in grafs time. As long as land is left in tillage, although there be many whin-feeds in it, yet they never vegetate. fix or feven years before the weeds are deftroyed. Thofe weeds that infeft lands in grafs, are eafiefl de- Whin-plants do not even appear till two years after the ftroyed by turning the land into tillage. Neither is it land has been allowed to reft, or has been turned into necefTary to continue it long in this fituation ; for the grafs. Now, if a fcheme of management be fallowed, by which the land is turned from tillage into grafs, and weeds commonly difappear after the firft ploughing. But as, in fome cafes, it may he inconvenient to turn from grafs into tillage, the whins by degrees will be a field infefted with weeds from tillage into grafs, or wholly eradicated. from grafs into tillage, it ’is neceffary to confider whether It was obferved above, that before lands infefted with the fame may not be accomplifhed, without altering the whins can be improved, the whins muft be grubbed fituation of the land. up. This operation is both tedious and expenfive. When land is in tillage, the weeds may be deftroyed The following method of rooting them out by the plough by frequently ftirring and turning it over in dry weather; is more expeditious, Ids expenfive, and has been tried for when the weeds are difplaced, the drought prevents with fuccefs. them from taking root again. This work muft be performed by a ftrong Scotch Land cannot be made too fine, nor the furface too plough, with a well redd beam. As it requires great fmooth, when it is intended to be freed of feed-weeds ; force to tear up the roots, fix horfes ihould be yoked in becaufe by that the greateft number are brought to ve- pairs. Two drivers are likewife neceflary, to prevent the getate : But, when intended to be freed of root-weeds, horfes from ftepping afide. As the whins in rifing are the rougher the furface, the weeds are the more eafily apt to entangle or choke the beam, another man is alfo deftroyed; becaufe the drought has the eafier accefs to neceflary to pulh them off with a pitch-fork. A plough their roots. yoked and attended in this manner, will plow down If grafs-lands be infefted with weeds, and it is incon- whins near three feet high, with roots above four feet venient to turn them into tillage, the only way of de- long, and an inch in diameter. This operation ftiould ftroying the weeds, is to ait them frequently, or pull be performed in the winter, when the land is well foaked them up by the roots. with rain. Some lands, after being in grafs a few years, are lia- After the land has been -ploughed in this manner, it ble to be over-run with fog: In this .cafe, rolling, by Ihould be allowed to lie till fummer, wdien the whins making the furface firmer, will be of great ufe in de- torn up by the plough may be burned, the land harrowftroying the fog. This weed, as well as others, may ed, and the roots gathered. Afterwards the land may be deftroyed by depriving it of air. This may be done be drefled according to the judgment of the farmer; only by covering the furface with a crop of peafe, potatoes, or the fecond ploughing ftiould be acrofs, that any roots other plants that lie thick on the furface. A deep which have been left may be torn up. trenching will, in fome cafes, anfwer the fame intention. But when the whins are fo ftrong that it is impoflible to plough them down, they may be burned ; and if the land allowed to lie a few years after, it may be ploughed 0/' dejlroylng Shrubs, as Furze, Broom, Bram- bewithout much difficulty. ble, &c. 2. BROOM. i. FURZE. Broom is not fo bufhy, and does not cover the furThe common method of deftroying furze (or whins) face fo much as whins; and therefore land infefted is by grubbing them out with a hoe. But it is impoflible with it is more eafily cleared. Though the methods reto root them out fo compleatly as to prevent their commended for deftroying whins will mod effeftually fpringing again, efpecially if the 'land be continued in deftroy broom, a more Ample and lefs expenfive one will grafs. The moft effectual method, therefore., is to bring -fufficiently anfwer the purpofe. the land into tillage immediately after the whins have If broom, efpecially When it is old, be cut fo low as been grubbed up. As long as it continues in tillage, no to take away all the leaves, it will never fpring again, whins will appear; but if turned into grafs, they grow A kind of fcythe has lately been invented, by which as numerous as ever. broom may be cut in this manner with great expedition. To prevent this return of whins, the young plants that method be obferved, it is unneceflary to bring appear after the land is turned into grafs, fhould be pul- Iflandthisfrom led up by the roots. Unlefs they are very thick, this is broom. grafs into tillage in order to clear "it of neither troublefome nor expenfive : When the ground is 3. BRAMBLE. moift, it may be performed by young boys. If any of them rife afterwards, which is commonly the cafe, the Thi s plant is of a very different nature from whin or lame operation muft be repeated every feafon till the broom. The root finks deep into the earth, and fpreads land is compleatly cleared of them. wide. Though cut in the winter, it rifes and There is another fcheme of management which in a very comes to fuch perfection as to carry fruit in the fummer. It