The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1883-06-01

Il
that the farmer has tsconsendssis An
nuai weeds or grasses can be cradicatedsb by
cutting them down Bsl1ts towering, aud
thus destroy the supply sfseed. But this
is perennial, meyer dying out, recruiting
and multiplying ard extending in all dircc-
tlons year by year. The tubcr of one sea-
son is the parent of dozen or more for the
next, aud so they 60 on increasing. ad an.
fn'tum. Hogs are fond of the nuts (when
they can find nothing better,) and will find
occupation for several months in nut grass
Held roofing and turning up the surface, mol
lowing the ground and leaving nuts enough
always to make a fine crop next SPRING
We have seen fields that had been thrown
ont of cultivation on account -nf -,---o','s' a'
and allowed to grow upthick@yin pines, 30
as to completely shade the ground, and af-
ter ten Of fifteen years cleared and brought
into cultivation. At first the tubers came
up sparingly and feeble, but The warm sun
and mellow ground soon give them heart,
and at the close of tho season. the ground is
pretty we'll infested again.
Various plans have been suggested aud
tried for destroying nut grass:
lst. The application of salt heavy enough
to penetrate the soil many inches This
will kill all the roots in reach, but it kills
the land also for time, until rains wash out
the supcrfuous salt For small patches.
and when salt can be cheaply had, this
plan may be effcctual
I'd. Ploughing deeply in winter so as to
expose the tubers to frosts. If done repeat
edly many are killed, but there arc always
enough left for seed
Sd. Hoeing over the surface six days in
the week through whole season has been
tried, but though cut down constantly the
| tubcrs are not exhausted at the end of the
season and will rccuperate for next year.
4th. Spading up the ground and picking
out carefully the nuts; may be done on a
small patch, but it would cost too much on
field.
9th. The most effectual plan for destroy.
ing Cor at any rate greatly weakening) 1t in
field is by rotation of oats and cow. peas
continued for several years. The oats should
be sown early. so that by spring the ground
is well covered and shaded The grass is
then kept down in feeble condition. AS
once and plant ow.peas. These grow ." of #
rapidly and shade the ground before the
grass has had time to recruit Ifths rota.
tion is repeated for several years it comes
nearer to destroying nut grass in the fields
than any other process
The leaves shoot up in early spring from,
the tubers of the previous year, some attain
ing full height There is then an apparent
cessation of while, until the Towering
stem starts. But the rest and inactior
above ground is made up by activity be-
meath. Small thread like fbres push from
the roots in all directions, and at the ends
Of these the tubcrs are formed, AID mature
in the course of the season. These thread
like roots run down to foot or more il
soft mellow earth. When the tubers ma
ture they die out, SO that is impossible t
draw the tubers out by the rootlets.
Along our seaboard region, on the ole
settled plantations, the grass is a terrible
sconrge. When is has taken possession o.
field it becomes impossible to eradicate i,
at anything like reasonable cost 1t would
cost more than the land is worth. 1t is
scattered and propagatcd in many ways by
| the tubcrs, 50 thu. those who wish To keep
their fields clean must be very vigillnt-
| The tubcrs arc favorite food IF the wood
rats who collect aud carry them off for their
winter stores. We have seen quart OF
more Of the nutsdus up near an old stump
Cattle and hogs also carry the nuts by their
hools from one field to another.
Ploughing the land invariably spreads il
over the field, as the nuts are carried by
their long fibrcs and dropped by the plough.
Suoh terror is it. that those who have
none Of it on their lands will never uso po>
tato seed, strawberry plants, cabbage plants
shrubs or flowers that have grown on nut
grass land, for fear of their carrying the nuts
in their roots. The experience OF planters
in the low country is that whilst seriously
impairing the value Of lands for cotton, il
was less injurious to corn, except that il
required more work and moro frequent
cross ploughing.
The nut grass shoots up flower stalk
like all similar grasses, and bears flowers of
dark chesnut color, but, like Bermuda
l Al. 4.