Litchfield enquirer., 1876-05-18
Agriculture in panourv

SLdbb 1O .yOu uO uOb huOW Wua quack grass is we wlll not tell you. It i not necessary you should know. But is grass which everybody who cultivate a field or fine lawn despises. Our lot Il full of it. There is nothing else of thu grass kind in the entire enclosure. Earl, last fall we read in some agricultural pa per that several ploughings of light fur row would kill the stuff. We put a mar to ploughing it, the other day, while VI perched ourself on fence to watch the performance. While we sat there, and since that day. we have been astonished beyond measure at the amount of genuine Knowledge of agriculture lying concealed in the public, especially in those memberl of the community whom we would least expect to know aught whatever of farming The first man who came along was walk parading around circus tent after dark ploughing, his face lighted and his pace quickeDed.
 "What are you doing there? Going to plant?'
 No. just ploughing up the quacl grass" "Ploughing it up? Gracious! you don't expect to get rid of that internal otuA Dy uO yOu. in unmistakable astonishment.
 "We read so in an agricultural paper,' , we answered, with a vague sensation of uneasiness floating through our mind,
 "Book farming. eh?" This was said in composure. Let me tell you you can never get that stuff ont. While there's a l1ck kl l. are only wasting your money" And he leaned over the fence in utter desponden. cy.
 We have still left in our possession a trife of discerDment. and we saw at once that if that quack grass was to be remov- ed, the fence was disastrous place for us; and we left for the house at once.
 We had been there about an hour when a knock came at the door. One of our neighbors, who is painter, appeared. He said:
 ''The man tells me you are ploughing to get rid of that quack grass?" There was the faint indication of cynical smile quivering in the neighbor's eyes and about the corners of his mouth which de. pressed us very much.
 ''Yes," we faintly answered.
 ''Let me tell you, g he said, putting his fingers in the Sarmlcts of his vest, ''that you'll never kill that grass that way. Its the worst stuff to overcome that ever got into the ground, and if you get rid of it at all you must have 1t dug up with fork and shook out, and the roots put in pile to dry. But you might as we'll sEake a paint brush at it as to plough it up."
 We went over to the lot. and told the man to put up the plough, and sent him ofter spading fork, and told him what to do. Then we went back to the house. Shortly after there was another knock at the door. On. going there, we found. a butcher. His cart stood in front of the door
 ''So you are trying to get rid of that quack grass, the man tells me?"
 "Yes," we gasped.
 ''I see he is forking it mp. That's we'll enough, but it will take weeks to do It.. It's none of my business, of course, but l see you've got job on hand, and thought if could help you ont, I'd be glad to do it. As I've said, it will take weeks and cost you mint of money to get rid of it the way you are doing, but if you will plow 1t up, and then run har. row over it, the sods will be broken up and the harrow will tear up the roots and they'll wither up, and you'll never be troubled with the stuff again"
 This sounded SO reasonable, that we immediately told the man to get out his plough again, and gave him the necessa- ry directions. He stared at us a moment, but said nothing. And we went back to the house. with mind stored with various emotions. Shortly after dinner the plough. ing was finished, and the man hitched up to the harrow. We saw this performance inaugurated, from between the blinds, and then went back to our work. Pretty soon there was sharp knock at the door We confronted stranger.
 Good morning. Is this Mir. Bailey?'
 ''Yes, sir"
 Excuse my calling; but your man tells me you are trying to get rid of the quack grass (we. winced) (which I see covers your lot. I have had some experience with the pest myself, and have tried narrowing as you are doing, but it never amounted to anything. The harrow tears up the roots, of course, but they are still there, and their life is so tenacious tha, they will revive within twenty four hours aRd within week they will be throwing out new shoots as lively as ever. WhaI you want to do is to cross plough which will cut up the sod much better than the harrow, and then take a spading fork, and shake out the roots and pile them up and burn them.
 We saw that what he advised was right but 1t didn't seem as if we had strength enough in our legs to get over to the lot We got there. however, and faintly lined out the new policy to our perspiring assis tant. He stared at us with all his might and then he wiped off his brow with hi 1 sleeve, and said,
 Ut is nothing to me how you work this thing. of course, as I'm paid by the day | but have got an immortal soul to say, as well as any other man." "Why what do you mean by that?" vt | inquired in some alarm.
 "Just this-that if you keep on takins everybody's advice that comes alont death will overtake me before the iob is done, and I'll be that mixed up that won't know my soul from a painted cart. And he looked morosely at the harrow.
 "What shall we do. then?' 7 "Why, go out of town somewhere, any where out of sight of these bowling igno ramuses. for a week, and I'll have ali tho H"oo0 SA"OS ouo oL tuIS IO1 1T nave G( brain every other agricultural iackass il l town"
 We took his advice. And had got som, miles out of town before we were strucl anyways unpleasantly by his threat. Symptoms of catarrh.
 Dull, heavy headache. obstruction O the nasal passages, discharge falling int, the throat, sometimes profuse, watery acrid, thick and tenacious mucous, puru lent. muco-purulent. bloody, putrid offensive etc Tn others a drvnosa drv