The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1872-06-29
HOW TO KILL COCO GRASS.

\ Trend informs us that he has cxtcrri-
ing very highly, and tho summer following
MS lands never allowing Il blade of grass
appear above the surface of the ground.
we had noticed, previous to reading
the above, found in an exchange, that
where we last year, applied cotton seed
heavily as a fertilizer, there is, this
year, perceptible decrease in coco
grass. But this result, we are satisfied,
will not follow the application Of all
kinds of fertilizers, foulyard and cow
pen manures particularly; but in the.
case of cotton seed we have no doubt
that one effect is to destroy, to some
extent, the coco.
Our experience in Graduating COCO
and we have studied the subject closely
and anXiously-points to different
method from that suggested. One fact
we first observed was, that the coco nuts
cannot stand a freeze, and we are not
certain but that good frost will kill
them. Almost every planter or garden
or has observed that all the nuts found
IN the spring on the surface of the
ground, are nothing but empty shells.
Seeing this, we were led last fall to
turn our ground up with a plow. This
brought Il great many nuts to the sur
face. After the first freeze all the nuts
on the surface and as far us the freeze
descended, proved to be dead. AS soon
as the weather and the soil permitted,
the pillow was again used, and the re-
suit was the destruction, upon the next
| freeze, OF all the nuts exposed by the
second blowing. This has been our
! ,cieter plan.
| For ,set,Hnaer treatment we have avail
ed ourself of the same of law of nature
applying to COCO, to-wit it's dependence
upon heat and light. Thus, early in
the spring we sowed oats, which, hay
ing a rapid growth, got ahead of the
coco and shaded the ground before the
grass was we'll up.
And here we will digress little, to
say, that, contrary to all predictions,
we have grown fine oats this year,
planted in March, without the least
Sign OF rust. The variety sown was
the Red American Rust-proof oat A.
portion OF our little patch was sown
also in rcd clover, with a thin sowing
OF oats in connection, which is now
green and promises WE'LL
The oats were moved a few days ago,
and there was very little COCO to be
seen ON the ground. We are satisfied,
ut all events, that the nuts have not
multiplied. After removing the oats,
! tho H. !.
and then drilled with COW peas, which
are now coming up. The peas will be
p1owed once, and by the time fall is
upon us,-thc season when COCO grass
multiplies most rapidly,-the ground
will be completely shaded, and the sun
shine, so essential to the wonderful
fccundity of COCO, will be entirely OK
Guided. We expect to cut the peas for
forage, and Immediately after, prepare
the ground for turnips or clover, or
piow it in readiness for the first freeze
OF winter.
We have found this plan for eradica-
ting coco very satisfactory. It's advan-
: tast:s over all others recommended to
us, such rs the application of salt, shay
ing off the coco daily with Il hoe, dig
ging it up and hauling it off to be burnt,
sitting the soil, &C., is too apparent to
need elaboration, and, as may be seen,
this rotating process may be applied not
only to small patches and gardens, but
also to fields of any size. But as the
land never lies idle, it must of course
be enriched regularly, unless it be Il
field, where the pea vines, turned un-
der, will sufficiently fertiIizc the soil.
There are hundreds OF thousands of
acres of most fertile land in this State
in a measure ruined by COCO, that might
be reclaimed in the manner we have
suggested, if not entirely, at least sutfi-
GENTLY SO to admit of profitable cultiva-
ton of both corn and cotton. And
even while the process of reclamation
w;,s going on, the planter would be
deriving Il moneycl income from his:
| labor, by the sale of his oats, peas or
clover, and by the sale of stock raised