The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-08-27
About Noxlous weeds.

our farmers and gardeners nave 10 con-
tend are not indigenous to North Amer
lea, but have been introduced from other
countries. This fact alone shows how
wide of the mark is the often'repeated
assertion that plants do best in their
native country, and when removed
therefrom are likely to degenerate or run
out. 1t is doubtless true that there is a
principle of adaptation of plants to cli-
mate and soil, which underlles all sue
cessful agriculture and horticulture; but
this is seldom discovered except through
experience, theories often Leading the
cuItivator astray in such matters.
Plants may succeed in their native
habitats, and still do far better in for,
eign country. In the case ofplants termed
weeds they seem to- thrive eeet when
away from home, as the cultivators OF
the soil in this country have learned to
their cost. Our native plants seldom
invade the grain fields or gardens, but
it is the introduced plants which become
great pests. For instance, the so.called
Canada thistle is not native OF Canada
or of North, America, but was introduced
tbh Europe, whe}e it has long been
known asalgieat BEST, and Linaaus OBJ
serves in "Flora Lapponica, y lit is the
greatest pest of our fie|ds,' a rem .rk
which is equally applicable to it in this
country at the present day.. In Europe
it is called the cursed thistle, name
which has been corrupted by the farm
ers of the United States into Canada
thistle, although there is no proof even
Of its having reached our fields by the
way Of Canada. The common long
leaved thistle of our fields and roadsides,
as well as the yellow thistle and cotton
thistle, are all introduced weeds. and we
do not know of native species that has
ever proved to be the least troublesome
in cultivated fields or gardens:
The great OK eye daisy, which OF late
wears has spread over the Middle and
Northern States, much to the injury OF
the hay crop, is = native Of the old
World, and probably first introduced
with SrassSe VI grain. 1t has now
become great pest, and is so widely
distributed that it will probably remain
with us to the end of time, as it seems
to take very kindly to all kinds of soils,
as well as to our variable climate. 1t is
s,weea readily controlled ip cultivated
fold, sbu4 The seeds IRE 50 widely dis:
t1but4d aA( In such Ni* Quantities in
hay, that the farmer and gardener who
purchase manure from the stables of
cities and villages are sure to restock
their fields with the pest, no matter how
careful they may be in destroying the
plants as they appear from year to year.
OF all the weed pests infesting the
fields and gardens of the Northern
States, not five in q hundred are native,
and of the few supposed to be indigo
\ nous We seldom hear much complaint.
The common burdock, groundsel, pars-
ley, dandelion, wild carrot, and scores
1 Of other! sipilar species Of garden and
field pests are an natives of Europe.
where they do not thrive any better ifas
well as in this country. Chess, or cheat.
which so many farmers believe is kind
of transformed wheat, is also q foreign
grass, infesting the grain fields in oil
European countries. Going further
south, we find different kinds of weeds,
some. of which have nQt yet become
cdpuan Ms th9 orelnSsthSrn State,
but here again we find that the most trou.
blesome species have been introduced,
and a"e not indigenous. The vile weed
known as =" blue devils" which. has
overrun so many hundreds of acres
of the fertile lands of the Shenandoah
Valley in Virginia, is the viper's buglos!
of Europe, from which it was introduced
in some, unknown manner many year.
ago, and permitted to spread over some
Of the finest portions of the Old Domin
ion. It has also obtained q good foot
; hold in Maryland, and we have fount
occasional patches of it as far north a
central Vermont. 1t is q pity that sucl
\ pests should be permitted to spread, whel
: they could be so readily destroyed OF
! their 6rst appearance in our fields, gar
I 1le4, do rosd6lssk
/; Europe, however, has not been tn
only country from whence we have re
ceived noxious weeds, for tho so-calle'
Jamestown weed or thorn-apple Is; sup
posed to be . native of Asia ; butt fouu'
its way to this country more than = cen
D tury ago, and is nov thoroughly natp
: rallied. tits very coarse, p0isonou
|: weed, and ought to be extirpated befor
it becomes more abundant than at pres
}; emit. The horse nettle Of the South j
I perhaps an exception to the general rul
= that noxious weeds are ''plants ava
}; from home," because, according to on
$ oldest botanical authorities, this prick
. customer is q native of the Carolinas
whence its scientific name of S0l0nst,
Carolinense. It is pemicious weed
o and so tenacious Of life q to be YER
. Z, dificnlt to eradicate. when once in pc.
. session ~ 4 held;; but it does not appea
= to thrive in the more northern States
;. althoughtit is very plentiful in, som
: parts Of Pennsylvania, Delaware, an
; Maryland "i' oh
/ How to destroy weeds is the gres
!! question with every cu1tivator OF th
l. soil; for If it was not for these pes,
a farmers and gardeners would have a
y easy time Of it, keeping down weeds b.
. ing the most expensive operation in til
whole routine Of plant culture. Til
best advice We can give is in the 0l
y Ovidian phrase which may be tram
Y lated, "Meet and resist beginnings,
. whether the weeds be ANIMALS, biennial
D. or perennials. The old English ssyiu
- that zone years seeding makes seve
7 years. wedding is . very true one an
= we'll worth remembering. Had .,
y farmers throughout the country pa
70 more attention to the little patches
u strange weeds which occasionally O
q pesred by the road 4ides or near the
!. bkfns and outbuildings they would q
:, now be obliged to fight them BY Il
III La ~ NJ thnyp kNn