The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1874-08-20
for the farmer.
ExTEnmTNATINe WEEDS IN August.


Weeds were inside for the purpose of develop
ing the fertility of the soil when the farmer fails
TO perform bis duty. When she coil Is cultivated
uroperly weeds viii not iafest the land. But
when the soil is wholly neglected, or is cultiva-
ted IN cut and cover per functory manner, weeds
spring up, choke every useful plant, and take
complete possession OF the Fields. Some weeds
ere ANIMALS springing from the seed and m&tu-
ring the plants during the growing season; 9TH
ers are biennisls, requiring plant of two sea-
sons TO come to maturity; while others are peren-
malls, continuing, like grass, from year to year.
Weeds have obtained such footnoid on many
farms that eyen good land cannot yield half
crop When passing across small held Of wheat
RECENTLY thrty-two different sorts of weeds were
collected among the stubble.
August at the North, is the best month of all
the wear for exterminating weeds from the fields
and parden. Our fathers were accustomed to in
struct their sons that sin the old of the moon in
August when the sign of the zodiac Is in the
heart lof human beings If Canada thistles and
other weeds are cut of close to the ground, most
of them will die" But long experience has
taught farmers that if weeds are moved or cut
down with the hoes during "the new of the
moonn they will be injured quite as much as if
cut at any other period. Astronomers assure us
that the moon is an old, worthless, played out
world without water and uninhabited; and there
can be DO plausible reason assigned for her infiu-
euce on the vegetable kingdom. except that she
rejects sufficient light and heat to aid in matu-
ring a crop in about ten thousand years.
The true philosophy of August being the best
time of all the year to exteTminate weeds con
sists in this: The soil at this season is usually
much drier and hotter than at any other time.
Hence, if the tops of the weeds be cut off, the
roots will suffer on account of lack of sufficient
moisture to maintain luxRriant aud healthfnl
growth. At this period al the energies of the
plant are concentrated towards developing the
STEM leaves and seed. The roots posse less
vitality during this stage of growth than at any
other period. After the tops of bienBials and
perenuias have come to maturity, an effort is
made to strengthen the roots aud thus fortify
them from Injury during the winter Now then,
if the tops be cut of, or it the entire plant be
rooted up, the feeble roots cannot regain vital
hold in the soil before the dry and hot elements
around them have so far impaired the vitality
that every rOotlet, leaf and stem withers and
dies in the course of few hours. If weeds are
poughed up in April, or in May, the roots are so
strong, and the ground so moist, that many bien-
mails, triennials and perennials, will regain a |
vital hold the soil before any part Of the plant
has withered. Let briers and berry bushes be |
moved or ploUghed in the former part of the |
growing season, and they will grow all the bet |
ter. But let the tops be cut of and the roots |
ploughed up when the ground is hot and dry in |
August, and the bushes that appear the next sea-
son will be so slender and feeble that it will be
easy TO effect their complete determination This |
will hold good with nearly every other species of
Del ennial plants. Let sprouts be severed from
and they will never give any farther trouble. |
But allow the sprouts TO grow until October then
break them of, and next season the stumps will
yield another crop.
In the year 1873 few acres were purchased
which had been given up to weeds and to traffiek-
ing spectators for the past twenty years. Milk
weed, Johnswort, Oxeye, daisies, purple cone
flowers, golden rod, half a dozen species of the
aster poke weed, horse sorrel, sheep sOrrel seve-
raj wild carrots, wild onions and more than this
N m bar fhar aal viz
rther for the asceudancy. In August, the ground
was ploughed neatly, about four inches in depth,
which was as deep any of the roots had en-
tered. Narrow furrow slices were cut with the
plough so that every square inch was broken up
and turned over. In some spots, running black
berry bushes, which are the worst pest to exter-
inmate, had rooted every weed. The soil was
hard snddry. Soon after the ground
was plougbed heavy harrow with sharp teeth
was started and the surface was thoroughly torn
to pieces. In less than one week after every root
and branch of every weed and bush was as dead
as dry stick. The present season not a weed
has been seen, except small number which
Sprang from the seed that had been lying in the
ground for an unknown period.
BY roofing up all such little seedlings before
they gain a strong hold in the soil, the land can
be kept clean at small expense Of labor. Anoth-
er small plot will be treated in the same manner /
the present season. The main point is to plough |
neatly and harrow thoroughly. The land aliu- |
ded TO was ploughed agein about the middle of |
last September, and sowed with rye, which was |
ready to be plongbed under, the first of June, |
1874. As soon as the ground was ploughed, abOnt |
four bushels of Indian corn were sowed per acre |
aud narrowed in.
If auy of the readers of the Observer can COM
municate a more economical, expeditions and |
thorough manner than this to clear a field that |
is overrun with weeds let the details of the ope-
ration be submitted for publication, moon or no
moon.
Ia almost every section of country, rag weed,
a large, strong bushy weed of quick and luxu-
RANT growth, shoots up where wheat, oats and
barley have just been harvested, completely
overtoppngali other vegetation. Let such fields
be plOughed with narrow furrow slices, and har-
rowed thoroughly several times before the end
Of the growing season. By this thorough ferti-
izaton, the soil will be well prepared for a crop
the next season. Two ploughings of heavy land
and two or three scarifyings with sharp-t oothed
harrow, in the latter part of summer and early
lutumn will improve the fertility more than a
light dressing of stable manure, with ploughing
1niy once.-Ner York Observer.