Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-06-28
Weeds of the Prairie Region.
Country Gentleman.

There is no doubt that the rich land of
the Mississippi Valley is becoming in
tested with multitude of weeds. Ne
braska is called the Sunfower State, but
her neighbors in Kansas, Missouri, lowe,
and, in short, the States and Territories
which border upon her neighbors, are
not exempt from the rank growth of sun
| flowers which are quite sure TO spring up
in any piece of the neglected land. The
reckless character of the farming which
is incident to the early growth of new
country has permitted the weeds to be-
come established where otherwise they
would have struggled almost in vain to
get strong hold upon the soil. As the
soil loses its virgin fertility and farming
takes on a moro serious and systematic
aspect, there will come with it strong
| feeling against the weeds. When this
sentiment is developed there will follow
a desire for knowledgs concerning
i their worst enemies-the weeds. Nil
lions of dollars ould be required to rep
resent the losses In single State caused
| by the growth of weeds.
Somewhat In autici patton of the grow
| ing need of information in this direction,
| the writer has been devOting a consider
| able of the past year to collecting, CLASH
flying and other study of the plant pests
of the farm and garden. Some readers
will be surprised at the number of kinds
of weeds and wee6y plants found within
the State of Iowa. In round numbers, it
is 300, and 70 be more accurate, the list
contains 297 we'll established species. In
recent conversation with an Influential
farmer of the State he remarked that
ne supposed that there were a great
many more. It is doubtless true there
are few more kinds yet to be reported,
and that each year will swell the list with
new corners. The farmers remark
led me to think that perhaps the
mind, not accustomed to dwell upon 800,
as applied TO distinct kinds os plants, is
not able to realize how long the list must
be; and again the average farmer has
heretofore had enough to engross his
attention without trying to distinguish
one kind from another. But the time is
coming when he will feel interested to
know them and learn the best methods of
battling with them for the possession of
his acres and the development of HIS
crops. If his own interests do not prove
sufficient, the law will put its iron hand
upon him and lead him out to duty. The
farmer of Iowa needs to exercise the
same vigilance as his brother on the high
priced, half exhausted, New England
farm, or his more distant relative liz old
England or Germany, where sharp com
petition develops system of farm man
agement that includes weed destruction
as one of its foundation principles.
The 297 species of weeds have been
thrown into three groups. These divis-
ions are for convenience, and are entire
Iy arbitrary. In many instances it was
difficult to decide which group should
contain given sort. The first group in
cludes those kinds that are universally con-
siGered as worthless and worse than worth
less; are always in the way and 1oing
damage to valuable plants. Fifty species
of this very bad sort. The second di-
vision includes those which are usually "ous
of place" and interfere with the farmer
and gardener but not so persistently as
those of the first group. This ssse 81 age
includes ninety-four species. The third
division embraces about half of the whole
list and includes those which, as rule,