The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1888-12-13
DESTROYING Weeds.

VI tllC WCCQS III OuI pastures. In
some cases SO called weeds may i'm
part fine aromatic flavor as in GER
tain Swedish and Norwegian as we'll
as in the Swiss alpine pastures, but
as rule the effect is injurious. For
this reason the Bureau of Dairy In
formation prints the following article
from the Country Gentleman, and
hopes the readers will scan it care
fnlly and act upon it when the time
of action arrives
The philosophy asWell as the prac-
tiCe of the best modes for destroying
the weeds which interfere with the
growth of farm and garden crops, is
imperfectly understood by too many
cultivators. A common course
largely pursued is to wait till the
weeds have grown several inches
high, and then to attack them with
pillow, hoe and harrow. Sometimes
they are allowed to ripen seeds, and
thus to provide for an abundant new
crop another season, even when des-
troyed for the present year. But in
telligent farmers and gardeners have
learned better way. They have
found by theory and practice that
young weeds are far more easily ex-
terminated, when as yet they are
nothing but tender white sprouts just
ready to reach the surface, then after
they have acquired large and tough
stems and branches; and the farm
and garden crops make much bet
ter growth with nothing but clean
and mellow soil to grow in, than when
smothered with a dense mass of
weeds. Pulverizing the surface fire.
quently, and thus keeping it con-
stantly clean, is found to be much
cheaper than struggling against
horde of strong foreigners which al
ready have possession. This work is
accomplished by the use of the best
labor saving tools. The slant-tooth
harrow, with it's numerous fine teeth,
repeatedly used at the right time to
a day, makes an easy and wholesale
destructio Of the sprouting seeds,
the cultivated crop having already
grown sufficiently to be uniniured by
the passing teeth, whether it be in
the young corn field, the potato patch
or in the wheat or oats. The same
result is reached by the use of the
steel rake in the garden.
The common rule, that all weeds
may be destroyed if some months
they are not allowed to breathe
through their leaves, is a good one,
and continued cultivation to keep
them constantly under the soil will,
therefore, extirpate them. 1t is, of
course, quite necessary, that no in
tervening respite, even of single
day, be given them at any time, or
they will recover their loss. But
different weeds require unlike treat
ment. Annual weeds, which multi
ply by the million through their
seeds, and in no other way, are to be
met in different manner from creep
ing-rooted perennlals. Weeds with
large seeds will sprout when buried
at a greater depth than minute ones.
Stirring the soil will therefore reach
them at a greater depth, and foul
soil filled with them will. be more
quickly cleansed by cultivation than
when infested with fine seeds. The
latter will not sprout unless brought
quite near the surface, and the oper-
alton must, therefore, be repeated
many times to get them all out.
This is the reason that successive
seasons are often required to cleanse
foul land. Flowing will not eradi-
cate them, for very heavy furrow-
slice only turns under again what
ought to come to the shallow surface.
Repeated surface STRINGS in connec-
ton with blowing are necessary. It
is the small seeds of the purslane
Which render this weed so difficult to
eradicate; and although only an an
nual, it will retain possession of the
ground for years It's seeds are pro-
duccd in vast numbers, and when
the plants are cut up and carried
away, they drop enough for an abun-
dant growth another season, and the