The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-11-12
Weeds and Weed Seeding.

In one sense, at least, weeds are the
salvation of the working farmer. With
out them the most indolent of his neigh
bors might compete successfully for the
prize of profitable farming. All are
ready to call the weeds "cussed thing"
and yet they have a good side, in keep
ing all tillers of the soil more wide
awake, more thoughtful of their crops,
in short, making them more thorough
farmers and gardeners. Even the
prickers'' ON the thistle make farm
er smarter than he would otherwise be,
and the " docks'' as they spring up in
his meadow, should cure him of the dis
case which, to be plain, is pure and
simple laziness.
But it is not of the moral influences
which weeds WELD that wish to speak.
healthful and important as they may
be. 1t is not my mission to preach so
much as to instruct in the rugged fields
of practical agriculture.
To most of us it can be said with
truth that the weeds are here, and it is
for us to study into their habits and
learn as far as we can the best meth
DDS of warning against them. The
cept this situation and shoulder
some instrument of defense against
the great foe to all good crops.
He must not only grasp the
weapon, but he should study the nature
of the enemy and the tactics of war,
that he may move upon the foe at the
proper moment-come upon him at his
weakest point.
At this autumn season, when the Ia
bors of the year are making their re-
turns, it is natural, as well as the duty
of every farmer and gardener, to view
the conquests of the spring and sum-
mer and see wherein success has
been reached and lie arm the cause of all
failures.
But the misery of the unsuccessful
is not for himself alone. A man who
devotes the richness and strength of
his garden soil to the growth of nox-
ious plants curses his neighbors as well
as himself. The weed-grower is a
propagation of evil; and it is just here
that l wish to make point. If it were
true that the weed seeds should all
terminate and grow just where they
were produced, then there would be a
far brighter future for the farmer and
gardener who strives to keep his own
fields clean. The good gardener has
his own just and liberal reward for his
clean culture in the crops which his la
bors have given him; but could he feel
that there was not a new army of in
vaders just over the wall, ready TO meet
him face to face the coming year, then
gar dening would become more full of
hope, more peaceful and more pleas
ant. 1t does look like a
sin to see good, Industrious neigh
boris garden down to weeds of ones
own raising-and that when the one
who commits the wrong is also suffer
er in the deed. We ought all to be
more than heretofore our brothers
keeper in this at least that we do not
foul our neighbours land. If we turn
to the farm. we only see the same thing
that has been illustrated in the two
gardens-only on correspondingly
larger scale. One farmer by every
means in his power roots out the Can
ada thistle, or kills it by frequent plow-
ing, while the adjoining field is largely
given over to the growth and propaga-
WIN Va uiiio PllShly POSO. w . AOI
example, suppose the two fields are
equal in size and planted with the same
variety of corn. The one, it has been
said, is kept clean and the plants in
vigorous growth by a system of clean
culture, the highest ambition of the
owner being to have no weeds reach
the seeding point, and harvest a paying
crop of corn. The neighbor grows his
crop with less expense, as he thinks,
and boasts of the time he has for elm
proving his mind" at the village gro
Gerry. He grows q double crop, and it
is hard fight between the thistles and
the corn all the season through. The corn
Is harvested and the thistles; what be-
comes of the result of their labors? Even
plants grow for some purpose, and that
thistles have brought full harvest of
seeds, and also provided each little
germ with silky balloon by means of
which it can seek a favorable place to
grow. The negligence of one farmer
has cursed the land of the thrifty and
prosperous; for as sure as winds do blow
the seeds of the cursed Canrda thistle
will be scattered, and that pretty thick
ly, over the well-kept soil of the good
farmer. 1t seems too bad that the evil
should be visited upon the good, but
that is the old story the world over.
The bad, like the thistle-down, is car
ried by every wind, and will fall like
the rain upon both the just and the un-
just.
There is but one remedy that can be
applied, and the time is ripe for all to
make the application. Let all be weed
killers the whole season through, and
there will be no loud cry of unprofita-
BILE farming and gardening. Our great
est curse is weeds-unless we turn that
curse into blessing by turning the root
end into the air. Earnest, concerted,
action, with all hands to the front, will
save us from the dominion of weeds,
and give better crops in the bargain
Cor. Christian Union.
The Court of Pekin is all worked I'M