The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1890-08-02
ExIermlnaIlng johnson Grass.

ExIermlnaIIng johnson Grass.
My experience with johnson grass,
or Means grass, extends back about
ten years. | had about a quart of
seed given me then, and being wholly
Ignorant of its habits, and its being re-
commended as the best grass could
get to sow at the head Of washes to
stop them, used the seed in 1880, and
the next year | had German millet
sowed near the patch of grass. When
the millet was ripe | saw dozen or
more heads of the grass foot higher
than the millet. These stalks of grass
were carefully dug out and the land
rescued from destruction by the grass
by the timely use of the grubbing hoe.
The patch had saved was within fifty
yards Of pasture, and the fence was
moved so as to enclose ii IN the pas
ture, where | had horses, mules and
-salves to Craze 1t down, aud in two
years 1t was exterminated. But to my
astonishment the seed had been carried
to other places in the corners of the
fences. The fences were moved and
the digging was thorough, taking out
eve.y root, as we thought; but the
next spring the plat was larger, and
merely thinned out. And again, | had
my thresher out in the neighborhood,
and a neighbor had them to thresh
some of the grass. After it was
threshed they threshed 700 bushels of
oats for another neighbor. My in-
struction was for the thresber to be
thoroughly cleaned out before they
came home, which they said they did
After IL was brought home had some
stacks of millet out in the field to
thresh. The next spring the land was
planted in corn and | found several
stalks Of the grass, and was sure each
one was dug out clean. But some
stalks or punches escaped and | sup
pose went to seed, as 1t was not looked
after any more, thinking we were safe
in that field. The more we worked at
ii the worse scattered il seemed to be,
and was at my wits end-did not
know what to do-but something must
be done, and that quickly, or one Of
the best plantations in the South would
be lost. hauled out cottonsced and
where bunch was four feet across.
o two-horse wagon load was piled on
the spot where tho grass grew and
left, in the middle three feet deep.
That exterminated 1t. But | had too
many places to use seed on. Some
thing else must be used. | had grass
cut on the prairie, as | would for stock,
and where the bunch of johnson grass
was u foot across placed the hay on
that place six or eight feet across and
three feet deep. That exterminated 1t.
And when patch was ten feet across,
the hay was spread over twenty feet.
By all meaps have the mulch extend
four feet beyond the edges, aud have
the hay three feet deep after II is
tramped hard. Do not be nice about
1t, but the more you place on 1.-THE
deeper it is buricd-the better; and
while you are at it don't forget you
are burying the worst enemy the Tex
as farmer eyer had to contend with.
Now have told you how to do in
comparatively level land. had o
patch of 1t come up in the bottom of q
ditch two feet deep. | turned The
ditch around II and threw the DIRT Oh
top of 1t. The next June 1t came ouI
looking as fine as before, and as IL was
then on level had recourse to the
hay aud 1t was mastered. / have q
large creek running through my place,
and some seed, by some means, got a
Judgement in the side of the bank
That is the only place that now
dread, and 1t must be stopped, and
am satisfied will solve the problem
after a while. AT present [ keep al
the seed pulled off while in bloom
The straw from old straw stacks, II
not too rotten will answer. have
| uSeu sOIlit Wccul Sioesj WhSAS 'he
weeds made 1t of less value for feed
for stock, but have II five or six feet
deep. Frequently when saving hay
we have some of it caught in rain
That is the best to destroy the grass
with, as it will pack better than dry
hay. Place 1t on wet, or as fast as II
is cut by the machine, so it will be
packed.
think the farmers In the timber
where they do not NOW any, can pull
the corn off, aud while the fodder Il
yet green, place the stalks straight and
compact on the grass. But | think II
would have to bc three or four feet
deep. have never removed the hay
from patch of johnson grass in less
than two years, and am willing for II
to remain much longer, if necessary
TO exterminate 1t. The time is not faI
off when farmers in search of homes
will avoid neighborhood where it Is
troublesome to farmers. | am aware
that am not clear of it forever, as the
seed will be brought from my neigh
bors, fields. but eternal vigilance, aud
plenty of hay, will do the work.
w. Simmons, in Texas Farm and Ranch
Capt. sage Resigns.