The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-01-24

That Canada ihistles may be nearly or
entirely exterminated in a season BY re-
peated plowings, when the work is properly
done and the season i quite favorable, /
know from my own experience in former
years Before the first blowing an OBJ
structions to the plow should be removed
the plowings should DO repeated through
the seasons as often as is necessary to kceE
the surface soil entirely bare.
Il is well understood that the roots Of
no tree or plant, whether annual, biennial,
or perennial, can long survive If prevented
from vegetating and coming up to the
light Of day. Should few pany plants
appear the next year, as is sometimes the
the case, especially after wet year, they
should be cut off few inches below the
surface whenever they appear, until wholly
destroyed, When these pests of the farm
cover or are scattered over a whole field,
these frequent plowings, in busy season
Of the year, are a heavy tax upon the time
and labor needed for other farm work
Hence, they are too often suffered to grow
unmolcsted and to spread with fearful
rapidity.
An old friend and neighbor of mine,
from Seheea county, N. Y, on a recent
visit here, informed me that he had, the
past season, harvested fine crop Of wheat
from 6eld that had for years been infest-
ed with Canada thistles, its late owner
never having attempted their extermina-
ton
The blowing, preparatory to a wheat
crop, was commenced after the thistles
were in full blossom and completed before
any plants had ripened their seeds. In
turning under the thistles, the usual chain
attachment to the plow was used. In
parts Of the field where their ranker growth
prevented their being completely buried
by the pillow, they were cut down and then
raked into the burrows as the blowing pro-
gressed.
The cultivation of this field until after
harvest was the usual fallow cultivation
with the cultivator and drag. After har-
vest the field was again plowed and cited
for wheat. When the crop was harvested,
only few punny scattering thistles could
be seen. This field was thickly seeded to
clover, to be mown the next year before
the time for the thistles to ripen their
seeds, should there be any surviving plants.
The roots of the thistles being in q
measure exhausted at this period of their
growth, when the plants are preparing to
ripen their seeds, the first blowing is doubt
less much more effective in checking their
growth than when the roots are in full
vigor in the early spring months.
This method of exterminating thistles
when whole fields are infested, is now gen.
orally practiced in the neighborhoOd where
my friends reside. Although not CON-
mon occurrence, have known Canada
thistles when cut down after the blossoms
had formed to bealmost entirely destroyed
by q single moving; owing in part, per-
haps, to causes or conditions of the plants
not as yet satisfactorily explained.
An old neighbor Of mine in Western
New York, firm believer in lunar inau-
eAces, upon whose farm rank patch of
Canada thistles had been almost extermi-
mated by a single cutting, was confident
that, could he recall the exact "time in
the moon when the work was done, he
could impart some valuable information on
the subject of Canada thistles,-Co Cores
pondent Western Rural ,.,