The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-07-03
WEEDS.


IS the Farm Than 60 Eradicaee Them.
Two motives exist for working the
eoil devoted to the production of cult
v,ted crops. One Is increasing the
Growth of the plants that are planted.
and the other is the destructionof those
that are of no value and absolutely
harmful. Now, as in the days when
The Bible was written. wheat and tares
are likely to be found growing in the
same field. The portions of this or of
any other country that produce the
largest desirable crops also produce
the largest crops of weeds. A soil and
climate that are favorable to the pro-
duction of corn and potatoes areequal-
" favorable to the production of rag
weed and cockle-bur. The better land
is prepared and fortified, the more
certain it is to produce large amount
of weeds. Some of the most trouble
some weeds, like the purslane and COM
mon plantain, only flourish on land
that is in excellent condition to pro-
duce large crops of vegetables. flowers,
or grain. They are rarely found on
land that is deficient in the elements of
fertility. They are very common in
fully enriched and turned with the
spade. but are seldom found on poor
land devoted to spasturage. Many of
our most troublesome plants would be-
come very scarce if the land on which
they are found was allowed to return
to its original condition.
A considerable portion of the last
report of the Ohio agricultural expert
ment station is devoted to the subject
of weeds. The article on this subject
considers the methods by which weeds
are introduced, disseminated, and
propagated. their habits of growth and
duration of life, and the best methods
of destroying them. 1t is shown that
of the 182 weeds found in Ohio, lis
were brought from Europe. Most of
them came over" in packing material
or mixed with the seeds of plants de
signed for cultivation. American
weeds have been introduced into every
country in the world with which we
have commercial intercourse. Several
of our most troublesome weeds were
introduced during our war for indie
pendence. These seeds were in the
grain or fodder employed for feeding
English colony horses. Every war
causes the introduction of weeds. If
but assmaA number of any kind of
weeds obtain q foothold they are GER
tain tobecone very common. Nearly
Ill kinds Of plants produce great
number Of seeds. The officers of the
Ohio station made their examinations
IN the valley of the Scioto, where the
suil is naturally very rich and where
weeds: obtain greater size than in
most parts OF the country. They found
] that a single specimen of the weed.
generally known as the shepherds
purse, produced 81, 900 seeds, dande-
lion prodaced IL, 103 seeds. common
thistle 63, 500. a rag-weed 1856, pur-
slane plant S88. 500, burdock S8,OS6,
common plantain As, 290.
The possibilities of increase in some
of these plants are enormous. Of
course, some of the seeds counted or
estimated were imperfect, and would
not be likely to germinate under the
most favorable conditions. Still, ii
only half of them were perfect, it fol-
lows that one plant may in few years
Birds and animals will deyour the
seeds Of nearly all the cultivated plants
If they can get chance, but they do
not cat the seeds of weeds. In most
cases they have disagreeable taste.
which prevents them from being eaten.
They nearly all possess wonderful vital
ity. The terminating power OF all the
grain is destroyed by cold and mois-
ture, but the vitality of the seeds of
weeds. is not affected by these causes.
They will sprout if they remain frozen
all winter. They may be parched by
exposure to the sun, but they will
terminate as soon as they absorb mois-
ture. They may be buried for years,
but they will sprout and produce Wig
orous plants as soon Is they are brought
near the surface of the ground. A
large proportion Of them will pass
through the organs of digestion with
out injury to their vitality. and will
terminate in the droppings of the ami
NAL that devoured them. The increase
in the number of weeds is largely due
TO the wonderful vitality of their seeds
or their power Of preservation.
The seeds Of weeds are disseminated
! by he wind and by other sources of
nature, as running water. Birds carry
many of them from place to place.
Some q them are provided with hooks.
by means of which they attach them
selves to birds and animals. Every
farmer sows weeds with his grain.
Weeds are introduced INTO every new
section Of the country by means OF the
seed-gtain obtained at . distance. Too
little attention is given to the matter Of
obtaining clean seed. Farmers also
introduce the seeds Of weeds in their
6elds by means Of the manure they ap-
nv y them. II stable manure con-
tains foul seed it should be composted
year before it is incorporated with tho
sol Many farmers who keep their
eultivatcd fields tolerably clean. and
Mo take pains to destroy the weeds in
1Iain-fclds after the crop Is harvested.
allow large plantations of weeds to re-
- undistufbed during the entire
n1o1. While the cultlvator Is rum
Ag between the rows of corn and the
1oe = used In the garden for the pur-
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