OF SCOTLAND.

879

petuully on his pastures, as the diminution of food to hisown stock by that circumstance would be perfectly obvi-ous. A little serious consideration might surely convince anyone, that the mischievous effects of a multitude of weeds,among crops of any kind, are perfectly analogous. A givenextent of land is only able to bring a certain limited quantityof vegetable growth to maturity, proportioned to its staple ornatural fertility, and to the manure which it contains. Ifany proportion of the vegetative nourishment possessed bythe soil, is usurped and appropriated to the growth of weeds,say a fourth, sixth or tenth part, a corresponding proportionof the intended crop must be deprived of its nourishment,and to that extent must the disposable or profitable pro-duce be deteriorated or diminished. If two bushels onlyof additional produce are procured from the acre, in conse-quence of industrious weeding, the expence will be amplyrepaid with a handsome profit; how much more so, if oneor two quarters of additional produce per acre are securedby means of weeding. One great benefit of weeding, theprevention of further dissemination, may be insured by ex-tirpating the weeds at any time before they have perfectedtheir seeds ; but to prevent the existing crop from being in-jured, they ought to be drawn at an early period of the sea-son *.

Even in the best cultivated districts of Scotland , little moreis ever done in the way of weeding the grain crops, thanmerely cutting thistles over close to the ground, by means ofa very simple implement called a weed-hook ; and even this

* In many instances, the hand-weeding of barley, and spring-sown wheat,cost 25 s. and even 30 s, per Scotch acre twenty-five years ago, and was morethan twice paid by the extra produce of that crop, besides preventing the im-mense semination that would have taken place, had the weeds been allowed toperfect and shed their seed. The weeders begin whenever the annual weeds willbear pulling, and sit during the operation,—in the game way as if weedingonions, carrots or flax.