Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-07-24
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Weeds.

Weeds.
WITH what wonderful prolifcacy the
soil brings forth weeds? How provoking
it is to see your newly narrowed field, or
your Just completed garden, bristling up
with an army of young weeds. The ex-
pletives Of Woodworking farmers and gar
deners against these cumberers of the
ground are uttered with an energy which
leaves no doubt of their sincerity and
earnestness. When you come to facts on
this subject, the prolificacy of weeds is
something terrible to contemplate Dr.
Lindley estimates, as low average, the
following number of seeds from each of
the four plants named:
plant of Grogndsel produces S,OS0 seeds.
:. Dand elton. :. 22,64o !.
- Spurge 6 $40 S
Here then is good chance for the
growth of 16,400 plants, or enough to
cover three acres and half at three feet
apart! To hoe this land, DR.. Lindley says,
will cost Us sterling per acre and hence a
man throws away IS Sd time, as often as
he neglects to bend his back and pull up
young weed before it gets into flower. lie
recommends every gardener whose YER
tebral column will not bend to pull weeds,
to count the number of dandeliOns, this
ties, &c, on the first square rod he can
measure off. 1t would be well for similar
estimate to be made as to the pig-weed,
mullen, x-tail, chickweed, burdock,
purslane, and last, but far from least, Cana
da thistle, which so abound in this country.
Not only the prolificacy, but the ready
growth of weeds, forms most formidable
obstacle to good husbandry. They seem
to spring up and flourish as if there were
some special provision in the soil to favor
their quick development. They always
outgroW the useful forms Of vegetation,
unless you can favor them in some way,
and give them a start in advance. No
sooner is one generation of them destroyed
than another starts into life, and it often
seems as if the ground literally swarmed
with the seeds of these noxious things
Many of them also are very tenacious of
life A war of determination, root and
branch, is the only thing that will do for
them. Leave the least sprig or fibre of
them in the soil, and they quickly re-estab-
lish themselves.
Yet, after all, these discouraging facts
about weeds have another side to them.
The same provision for quick growth
which fosters weed-life, is necessary for the
useful forms of vegetation. Our hope of
smiling and abundant harvests rests on the
same laws of nature under which weeds
fructify 50 fast, and multiply so fearfully.
Moreover, weeds, by their presence and
growth, rouse up energy on the part of the
tillergof the soil, and compel that constant
shaking and loosening up of the ground
which is necessary to high and successful
culture.
There is only one way Of dealing with
these pests. They must be got rid of. 1t
is of no use to tamper with them, or to be
satisfied with halfway measures. To NOW
them down and to let them speedily grow
up again-to leave them by the fence side
and in the fence corners to mature and
scatter their seed-to let them get into
flower and then cut them down when they
have vitality enough to perfect their seeds,
leaving them to wither and die upon the
ground-these are some of the slip-shod,
make.believe methods Of destroying weeds.
An energetic thistle or mullen laughs at
such halfway work, and will infallibly
increase and multiply in defiance of it.
We must wake up to the necessity of thor
oughly eradicating weeds. People ridi-
Guile the idea of legislating on this subject,
but the evil is becoming so serious that
oOnictiLlS cIicCCudI uluSG NC uOuc anu ii
public sentiment cannot be created, such
as shall secure weed determination, law
must try its hand. In Michigan they have
statutes on this subject, that even forbid
throwing weeds into the highway; and if
we had law requiring utter eradication
of weeds, though its. enforcement would
be troublesome and expensive at first, it
would be in the end most beneficial
nIprn of 1oUic1ation I1ndnr which "a n, q =
terial interests of the country would pros