The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-07-04
Hoefng and Killing Weeds


Hoeing and killing Weeds,
A story is told of an old king, who,
desiring to give his friends a good din
ner, instructed his butler to set the
table with the best meats that could
be bought. On sitting down, the king
ound his butler had provided no meat
but tongue, and when asked why he
had done so, replied that tongue was
the best meat, because it was the part
that uttered the noblest and kindest
words that are ever spoken. The king
accepted the explanation, but ordered
another dinner a few days later, and
told his butler to procure the poorest
kinds of meats he could find. What
was the kings surprise to find his table
again loaded with tongues, which his
butler said was in accordance to the
order, for the tongue is responsible for
the most profane and cruel words
conceivable, words that had caused
an endless amount of misery to man
kind
We are often reminded of this old
story when we compare a neglected
field or garden with another that has
been properly treated. We doubt if
there is a reader who has not, at some
time IN his life, seen a garden or field
that was so completely swarded over
with weeds that the work of killing
them and saving the crop looked like
a job that would cost more than the
crop could be worth. We own up to
having had at least one such field of
our own, and we have seen many 9TH
ers. If anyone desired to get up a
specimen weedy patch of this descrip-
ton as a curiosity, or as an illustra-
ton, one might select an old garden
where the weeds were allowed to 90 to
seed the previous summer. Plough it
early IN the spring, manure it well, and
plant Immediately to the usual variety
OF garden vegetables. The weeds will
probably come up as thick as hair on
a dog. They will get the start ofmost
OF the vegetables planted, as these
weed seeds that have lain in or on the
ground through the winter are in the
best condition to sprout and grow on
the arrival of the first warm DAYS in
spring, while planted seeds must lie in
the soil several days and absorb mois-
ture before they can begin togrow.
When the beets and parsnips and
carrots, and other fine things begin to
show themselves, donot disturb them,
but let them ali grow together until
the weeds get large enough to handle
well, and large enough so that weeds
and cultivated plants can be dis
tinguished. When the NORWOOD, pig
weed, hearts ease, witch grass, and
''puSley we use the common names
get their third or fourth set of leaves,
or when the ground is entirely sodded
over with worthless growth, three or
four inches high, then put in the cult
vator and run 1T two or three times in
row, then follow Immediately with
hoes, and see that thorough work is
done. 1t will require getting down on
the hands and knees to pull out the
weeds in the rows, and probably the
weeds will nearly hide the cultivated
plants, but the latter can probably be
found by hunting for them.
Now this is no fancy picture, for we
have often seen Just such hoeing. And
we don't know OF any possible Job on a
farm that Is more thoroughly dis
couraging either to owner or hired
man. A man, to undertake such a lob,
ought to have nothing else to do, or
he should be an invalid needing exer-
else in the open air, and so work for
his health solely, for in no other way
will he be likely to see any prospect of
reward for his labors. Now, there is
no pleasanter work done on q farm
than is found in the cultivation of q
well kept field or garden either by
horse power or by hand labor. Per-
lection IN plOughing Is the first requi-
site. Then there must be manure or
fertilizer enough applied, so that what
starts to grow will grow with a will. as
it were, whether it be weed or desira-
BILE plant. After themanurei is applied,
the ground should, if possible, be
worked over a few times at intervals
of few days, with good harrow or
Cultivator, to give the weed seeds time
to sprout and then die.
A great amount of hoeing and weed
ing may be done with a cultivator be-
lore the seeds OF our crops are planted,
both IN the fall and in the spring.
Work the ground until every living
thing is killed. Then when the wealth
er gets warm enough, put in the seeds
IN straight rows, so that the cultiva-
tor may be run between them the
next day, if desired, without disturb
ing the planted crop. Crops that are
long time in getting above ground,
like potatoes planted early, should be
| cultivated out before they break
ground, or else the Thomas harrow
should be used over the whole surface.
II a field is properly prepared for it,
the harrow may be used upon almost
any of our cultivated crops. We have
used it repeatedly IL the garden, over
rows OF peas and other vegetables. 1t
IS almost an Indispensable implement
IN the corn field, and should be used
Just as the corn begins to prick through.
Covering a little deeper at this time,
and smothering the weeds, will do the
corn no harm, as it will push right up
through an inch of loose soil, but after
the leaves are a few inches long, a COW
erlng OF earth might smother corn as
well as weeds.
As the harrow will obliterate the
marks of the rows, the field must now
be let alone until the crop can be seen
IN the rows. After this, use the cult
vator often enough to kill everything
between the rows, and as close up to
them as possible. Wehave horse hoes
now that leave very littlefor the hand
hoe to do, and that little can often be
donevery rapidly. Hand work should
aim merely to knock the weeds from
among the plants out into the spaces
between the rows where the horse hoe
will finish them. In the garden, among
the fine, tender things, there will be
some hand weed-pulling to be done,