The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-07-19
The n "a n ma g n !.
From the New Genesee Farmer
ON NOXlOUS WEEDS.

u,,,o rank and noxious weeds usurp tn soil,
",.. cheat the husbandman of half his toll.
n.doo an excursion of some sixty of seventy
.,, last summer through part OF this county
.I.hr as the eastern extremity of the county
Imvue. was very much struck with the sur
;os inroads which foul weeds, Of almost every
n .iss are making in this new country of ours.
1mvbt to be startling fact TO the farming com
.,,v in general, that here in Western New
Yak where the track Of the savage is scarcely OBJ
',.,eJ the Canada thistle, red root, white daisy
hhO's wort, yellow dock, mullen, and other
Kinds Of noxious plants are, on some iarms almost
r,rely usurplng the place which ought 10 be oc-
o0ed BY useful productions. Although my own
Immediate neighborhood is not so much infested,
20, Mead guilty TO some degree of negligence in
bs particular and as my own mind, during tins
scutsiop, became thoroughly impressed with the
n,soi,ude Of the evil wish to arouse the atten-
linn Of others to the runous consequences of fer.
her neglect,
fits subject which intimately concerns All
landowners Land infested with these weeds
will most rapidly depreciate in value. 1t is evident
that when meadow or grain field is overrun with
anv Of these plants, It not only requires a great
sacrifice of labor to eradicate them but in mos
cases. ifyou 90 INTO any thorough and efFectua
process, you must entirely derange your farming
plants, and probably for n season or so lose the
go of the soil.
have heard it estimated that the clearing o
he original forest and prepai alton of the land fol
4 wheat costs only from $40 to $I2 per acre. A
low much less expense can field be cleared o.
Gnads thstles, red root, or white daisy, when
tmughy besprinkled with them? Carefully es
mated, the whole loss and expense, am bold to
AZ, will not fall faI short of that when you sec the
Z @heble stalk expire.
Those considerations stir US np-and would
snrally remind those who, from the newness OF
N NMhrms or the care of former owners, have es.
& adAis evil, that Gan ounce of prevention is
n arth pound ofcurc." If you chance to per
h ave- in pass ing to and fro through your field, II
4 single specimen of the above named weeds, dom
stop to view it as curiosity, bnt attack it as you
'Ould bear; tear it up root and branch-go back
0the spot again and see that you have caused
@npIe,c determination, so that not living ves-
n remains. Let me urge those who, by their
own or the negligence of former owners have pref
3 N thrifty patches of some Of these plants, not to
delay even if it takes little time and present labor
Your labor will be exceedingly well spent in sea.
'OaOy arresting the prog ess of the evil. as our
arms grow older we must persist in keeping them
clean of foul weeds. The produce of our lands
Will never come 10 us in abundance, without pains
we cannot always expec, to get along when
"The earth is young, and yields kindly
-her fruits with little labor"
but have spun out these remarks beyond what
Intended. will close by observing that it will
X@O but transient use for few isolated farmers to
"snd to this subject. Unless the general atten-
WIZ OF land ProprIetors is awakened, little can be
F'@a0ently done, where land so frequently chan
20 owners.
mere Is now an act on our Statue Book making
"''wlu' for the freeholders of any town in the
"' 10 raise money TO defray the expense ofdes-
s''"s mo Canada thistle. wish this enactment
s"eA'end to other noxious weeds, and be put
pac'cai operation in the respective towns
:, !" "e counties of Albany, Clinton, aud som g
"' special petition was made to the Legisla-
s S' answer to which law was passed provi-
Il H.. W 0e destruction of all noxious weeds at
d., u''e expense OF the owner on whose land
Mn ."' 'Ound' How far this is put in force I
n,n., pretend to say but if we were all subject
'ln On enactment, it would undoubtedly be for
''""'a'e interest. 1. b. SMITH.