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The Weed Seed

Categories: GRASS SODS

The seeds of tilled crops are planted in ground

containing much weed seed, and no harm may result. The cultivation

needed to keep the soil loose, or to prevent evaporation, destroys the

weeds. Grass, clover, alfalfa, and like seeds are put into the ground

to occupy it to the exclusion of other plants for several years, as a

rule, and no tillage can be given. The rule is to sow such seeds after

tilled crops have been gr
wn, and some weed seed has been destroyed,

but there is evidence on every hand that the weed seed remains in

abundance. Summer preparation for grass gives opportunity to destroy a

great part of the seeds in the surface of the ground, and it is only

when they are near the surface that the seeds of most weeds will

germinate. Deep harrowings, continued up to time of planting, not only

rob land of water, but they bring to the surface new lots of seed that

had been safely buried, and become a part of the actual seeding when

the grass, clover, or alfalfa is sown. The obviously right method of

preparing for planting is to use only a surface harrow for a few weeks

previous to seeding time, stirring the ground after every rain to the

depth of three inches, or near that, and destroying the plants soon

after germination of the seed. The process which is right for holding

moisture is right for cleansing the ground.



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