Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-11-24
Canada Thistles.

Notwithstanding the dr,ad with
which every farmer regards the APP
proach Of this most annoying and
persistent weed pest, and in the face
Of the somewhat stringent legislative
enactments which embelish our stat
ute books providing for it's destruc-
tioh, we regret TO observe, in our oc.
casional ramblings about the county,
that it "increaseth and multiplieth."
How 10 get rid of them, is the ques.
tion; and we hear it discussed on
every hand, and written up, or down,
in every agricultural periodical we
pick up. The method of persistent
and frequent cutting, cLose TO the
ground, seems TO be the one now most
approved and practiced. We are
now trying it upon a small patch of
the nuisance which has in some un-
accountable way, made its appear
ance upon our farm, and with good
promise Of ultimate success, il per.
severed in. In such matters as this,
as in very many others relating TO
farm work, facts and the carefully
noted experiences of intelligent prac.
tical farmers are worth infinitely more
than the best OF theories and we
therefore take great pleasure in trans
ferring 10 our columns the following
from a very intelligent correspondent
of the Conneciieh Farmer:
| Within a few years in answer 70
an inquiry, think in the Country
Gentlemen, show TO get rid Of Canada
thistles" great many letters were
written in reply, the gist of which
was, If ] recollect, "smoiher them" 4"
; had thistles. Eas interested so
| remembered had made a stack of
hay right on bed Of thistles. That
stack was not removed till the winter
of the next year. II was made right
on the ground by putting poor, dam
aged hay on the ground for bottom
TO the better hay in making the stack
So right in the middle of the winter.
when we carted away the stack every
thing under the stack was brown. drl
and dead except the thistles. They
had not smothered. There they were
stickiG right up under the bottom
of thdFstack from four 10 six inches.
blanched like celery, but full of life
and ambition still. Ifyou could have
seen them the next spring when the
grand army of thistles stepped out
and up on the stage you would have
seen evidence enough 10 convince
any unprejudiced mind that that bed
of thistles had had years rest and
now could beat the world. If the
roots are not cords that go quite
through the earth and fringe out at
each end they certainly cliuch their
toe nails we'll down.
Some changes having been made ]
found this spring il was necessary TO
set bed of strawberries in a field
where the thistles were in full force
on one side. hesitated. remem
bered my past experience. had
thistles in one bed now, where, in
stead of reducing them they bad in
creased four-fold. There was no al
Tentative, so / set the bed. ex-
pected the thistlcs. They came. AT
the tirst hoeing We took pains TO cut
of all thistles. The next hoeing found
them there still in greater numbers
than before. They even beat the
tabled snake, which, so long as he
had his tail left could grow a new
head as often as II vas cut of. The
thistles when cut oil would often
throw up half dozen new shoots.
The second bocing ! advised my
men to look sharp for the thistles.
In about : week after the second
hoeing when they were crowding up
through the soil again, ] sent man
with = hoe with orders 10 be very
sure 20 cut every thistle that was out,
and every one that he could discover
Just breaking through. Ia about a
fortnight had the same thing done.
That was ell the extra labor put on
the piece; but Il banished the this
ties. Il vas the going over the
piece the second time with the hoe at
the time they were making their last
desperate effort 10 get 10 light and
air that killed the thistles.
SHoor the English sparrows and
eat them on tosst. II you don't, just
as sure as you live they will drive
away your old pet song birds. destroy
your fruit blossoms, squeeze the
mazfk fsae go sv<.nw s~hmAa hsMssn and