, 1882-02-24
Sowing Wild Oats.

A recent article OF Hon. David New
some who has lately died, on this subject
IN the ARGUS. reminded me of some Of
my experiences. Riding in a'stage some
years ago, the driver and myself fell into
Il conversation, and he gave me the bene-
fit oil his observation about a rough class
OF people, which proved the truth OF the
proverb "WhAtsoever 4 man SOweth that
shall he also reap" The subject changed
and We were talking about young man
who had been brought up with the best Of
training. and my companion said that he
ought to be lett now 30 do more as he
pleases; that he had received enough good
training tor the present. Let him now
SOW his wild oats. When he said this
could not help thinking of what he had
previously told Tie of those who had SOW
ed them and reaped them. thought Of
some experience which | had had during
three or four years with wild oats.
One thing | noticed was that where
they were sown, wild oats was sure to
grow. There is tar more certainty OF this
than there is OF tame oats. A drouth
which will kill common oats will not kill
them aud they need less cultivation. The
cause Of this is plain. They are wild. ma
tires OF the soil, II the experience is Of
any value, the same is true OF boys
wild oats. They will grow with almost
no cultivation for they are wild naturally.
Again found that hey would propagate
themselves without further assistance.
Sow tame oats and in few years they
will be all gone, but SOW wild ones and
they will not die out. Herds Of cattle,
The hardness of the soil and moving
them Tor hay will not destroy them. So
| have noticed about the human wild oats.
They will prope gate themselves. But not
only will they do this, they will spread.
Scatter n handful or two on farm ard IN
a few years the farm will be covered with
them. 1t is also very difficult to kill
them. Cut them when they are green
and they will spront ami grow again from
the roots, be II ever so lale In the season,
oven If they do not have time TO grow to
their natural hight, they will grow tor
six inches or Il foot and then go to seed.
Or IL to prevent this they are cut when
ripe or even almost so, they will shatter
out and sow themselves. Ii the attempt
is made to avoid both difficulties BY cut
ting them when partly green and partly
ripe. they will not be evaded, but some
will again start from the ground and some
will scatter from the heads before they
are taken from the field. Even so have
noticed about the boys wild oats, they
spread and are very harl to kill. Fur
th.r, | have seen that they will kill out
almost everything else in the soil il SIM
ply let alone. The roots are so strong and
iull OF life that they take possession of the
soil. Here likewise | have seen that the
comparison did not tail. Lastly, have
found that farmers were very careful not
TO SOW them on their places. On the farm
where lived found them---I often have
oats. to sell. "Would not have them on
my place for thousand dollars"-"wlll
not sow any oats II cannot get seed
which has no wild ones among them, -
these and similar expressions have often
heard when they learned of the wild ones,
and men turned away when they had no
idea where they could gat seed oa,s. But
here the comparison often has failed and
| lave wondered why men were more
careful about their oats and farms than
their boys. Seattle has Just furnished on
the gallows an example OF some who
sowed their wild oats, which propagated
themselves, spread, were rot killed until
the men were killed and perhaps not then.
Go thou and do NOT likewise.