Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-10-06
The Infancy of Weeds.


season from early spring till Deem
Der, because they are always growing
or scattering their seeds in some way
during this long period. And the
subject will not be exhausted and
hints will not become needless,
while their annual cost to the Union
is five hundred million dollars-one-
fifth the value of all the agricultur-
al products of the country. This is
not an extravagant estimate, for in
many places the seeds eat out half
the crops; and make the cultivation
Of what remains at Ileast double the
cost of clean management.
On looking back many years, we
see the progress which has been
made IN the mode of attacking them
in successive gradations. Half a
century ago, the common injunction
was, to "pull up and remove careful
ly those which had gone to seed, to
prevent the seeding of next years
crop'-to "be careful not to scatter
the seed" which had been already
borne in abundance. This was re-
garded as good and careful manage
ment. But an improvement was
made on this mode, namely, by not
allowing the seed to ripen-their for
nation was to be prevented-an ex-
cellent idea-it seemed to be under
this improved treatment, weeds were
destroyed when half foot high,
more or less. But observing cultiva-
tors were not satisfied. They discoy-
cred that the labor of roofing out
these full-grown or half-grown mon
sters was too great. they struck
boldly therefore for the destruction
of these intruders while they were
only an inch high. The labor was
decreased incredibly. There was a
great difference in the force required
to crush delicate little organization
as large as cambria needle, and one
foot high, with roots like strong
horns branching and penetrating the
soil another foot, and lifting the
plants of the crop when torn out
The improved mode lessened the Ia
Dor ten, twenty or thirty fold. The
great point there, was to take the
weeds in time, and it was found to be
better to pay man five dollars a
day to destroy them in their feeble
and delicate condition, than at fifty
cents a day when stout and shading
the whole crop.
But still farther improvement
was made, and this was to destroy
the weeds before they came up,when
they were just beginning to send out
then minute white tibers from the
seed. In other words, the steel rake,
fine harrow, or cultivator is passed
over the surface while it is not yet
perfectly clean. The process con-
sists simply in mellowing thorough
ly the whole surface without waiting
for any of them to make an incipicnt
appearance.
Any one may easily estimate the
comparative difference in cost be-
tween these four modes. Wait till
the weeds ripen their seeds, and then
carefully pull them up and place
them in heap; pull them up, or hoe,
or pillow them when foot high; or
destroy them when single stroke OF
the rake or sweep of the harrow de.
stroys them by hundreds at a single
movement; the last mode exceeds in
economy the first at least fifty or a
hundred fold.
We tried the experiment by the
watch, Of employing a man to pass
over a certain bed once a week with
a steel rake and brush the surface
thoroughly; and to clean the weeds
from another bed once month, when
they were half foot high, partly
with the hoe and partly by pulling
them with his fingers. Weprefer to
let each reader repeat this for him
self, as the experiment will vary in
its results with circumstances, and
should be tried by every one, for il
will furnish distinct ocular proof
better than all tn, cries and lectures
1t is well worth while to contrast
finger wedding with the wholesale
destruction by means of the two
horse harrow. The contrast may be
less striking in the garden bed,where
finger work is performed side by side
with the hand rake or the sharp hoe;
but on a larger scale-on the broad
acres of the farm, the difference is
enormous. The truth is, no good
farmer should ever use hoe-or
very rarely. The summer fallow for
eradicating all foul stuff, is not suffi-
GENTLY appreciated. What are term
ed hoed crops, are too costly when
cleaned by hand. The single-horse
cultivator is quite slow enough in its
work. Some crops arc made quite
clean when small. in rapid manner,
by means of the smoothing harrow
which sweeps over the whole surface;
and all others, that is, when the land
is not already clean, or cannot be
treated with this harrow to render it
so, should be occupied with broadcast
crops.
These remarks apply mostly to an
nual or biennial weeds, such as rag
weed, fox-tail. red-root, pig-weed or
purslane. TO clear foul land it is
necessary to pillow and harrow many
times, to bring up successfully the
seeds which lie at different depths,
and which will not terminate till
brought to the air. But perennial
rooted weeds, as Canada thistle, milk
weeds, quack grass, etc, which spread
mostly by the roots, may be thor
oughly eradicated in a single season,
and at little expense, by blowing
often enough to keep the leaves per-
petually under. While Canada this
tie and quack grass have been easily
rooted out thus in four or five
months, the work being thoroughly
done, it would never be accomplish
ed if occasional cessation were per-
mitted, so that the plants could get a
little breathing spell above the sur
face, the labor might continue one
hundred years or more.
TO recapitulate then, for annual
weeds, kill them in earliest infancy,
| yb;Jo ,,;,uto ond fror;ln on1 oocilv