Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-15
To Suppress Running weeds.

II
gentleman whose door yard had become
infested with the running plant commonly
known as 'moneywort,' and to botanisIs as
LySimdchia numnuidrid, remarked TO us /:
- would gladly give two hundred dollars TO
be rid of that weed, for il is driving the grass
from the lawn, and cannot kill 1t. Hoeing 1T
up only increases the growth" Another owner
of handsome residence said that one of the
worst weeds he met with was the Ffncd minor,
or perlwinkle, often called myrtle, which
gradually spread over his grounds without his
ming plants, which root freely from their pros
trate stems, and thus the whole surface is
gradually covered by them to the exclusion of
grass and everything else. The owners have
asked US for a remedy, and we propoSe there
lore TO give few general and particular di-
rectlons, applicable to these and all other
weeds of a similar character
All plants are killed il excluded during
their growing season from air and hight
With nearly all, a few months are sufficient
Il kept constantly buried they are effectuaIly
the work at the halves: they are kept well
under most of the time, but occasionally al.
lowed to peep above ground, take breath, and
start off again with yigor. very few small
leaves are sufficient TO send new life down
through all the roots. This was the reason
the gentleman aforementioned did not kin
his patch of homework by hoeing This is
the eason that so many fail in attempting to
destroy patches of Canada thistle, Snapdragon
and quick grass. The plants are allowed to
repeatedly recover what they have lost. Can
ada thIstles turned under deeply with the
pioW, by the lSt of June or sooner and after
wards often enough 10 prevent a single green
point from coming TO the surface, will be for
ever and effectually killed by the lSt of 0cto-
Der, as we have satisfactorily proved on more
than one occasion. We have seen farmers at
tempt the same treatment on quack grass, but
they entirely failed for want of thorough
work. But those who have taken hold of this
weed and Kept it always under have succeed
ed Wi bout difficulty, of which some interest
ing instances might be cited.
o. M laI nd doc -Is 81,
piow and harrow cannot be introduced. The
work must be done by hand. The owner of a
lawn wishes advice how to treat patch of an
mVeterate running weed which has taken pos
session of portion of his handsome grounds.
Probably the easiest way would be to trench
under the whole, so as To throw all the plants
with every portion of their roots, deeply under
the soil, and then turf the surface. 1t will of
cnulSf' be absolutely necessary not to allow a
single fragment OF the weed 10 escape, or else
the trouble Will soon be as bad as ever. IL the
roots run too deep to be thoroughly treated i'm
tins way, few inches of the surface may be
Removed and carried TO some place where no
harm can be done, and then the whole surface
e1tectually covered with tarred felt such as
builders use. The tar will prevent the weeds
from pushing through. Then over this a coat
OF earth and covering of turf may be laid.
1t may be that some kind of coarse paper or
pastcboard. not tarred, might be used in Suffi-
ci MT layers TO exclude the passage of the
plants, and to rot by the second year and pre-
vent the drouth which would occur with an
surface.
In the early part of the present century
when the Canada thistle was spreading into
some of the states where il was unknown be-
fore, it excited great alarm. and land owners
very properly attempted to extirpate it before
IL obtained large possession of their farms
TEey began by digging it up. But this process
only cut the roots into pieces. each OF which
sent up new plant. Others reSorted to plOw.
ing, with similar want of success. 1t was dis
covered that the roots ran down into the sub
soil, in some instances several feet, and at
tempts were made, with incredible labor. to
dig down and follow every root. But some
were broken off and left behind, and the result
was failure. 1t would have been immeaSurably
easier, and at the same time etfectual. if the
weed had been SmOthered at the surface.
Flowing under is better than attempting to
destroy. them with the hoe, because when
turned in deeply, some weeks are required to
reach the surface, and if the blowing is re-
peated in time, they are kept continually
smOihered. With the hoe, the surface only is
reached, and the plants cut off day may be
again above ground tomorrow, and no pro-
greSS at all made in killing them. We have
never found any difficulty in destroying COM
pletelly in one season. at moderate cost, any
patches or whole fields of these or other run
ming weeds provided thewOrk was thoroughly
perfOrmed-T Country Gentleman