The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-13
Hoods Pills act easily. yet promptly and
efficiently. on the liver and bowels. 26c.
THE RUSSIAN Thistle IS HERE
This Year 4: Has Inflicted n Loss OF g.
600, 900 r More tho Western Farmers.

| This Year 4: Has Inflicted n Loss OF a..
100000 or Moro on tho Western Farmers.
WASHINGTON. Nov. III. H. Dewey. As
| sistant Botanist OF the Agricultural Depart
ment. acting under orders from Secretary
| Morton. left last night for the Northwest to
| make IN Investigation into the extent Of the
damage done to the crops in the Northwest
| during the present year by the Russian thistle.
| This. though one OF the best known ia ono OF
| the most dreaded OF all weeds. and 1t Is said
| that it has this year inflicted loss OF over
| 100000 on the farmers OF the United States.
| Unless speedily checked 1t promises to spread
! over the entire country.
In the fall Of 1891 tho department received
reports from two or three towns in the Dako-
tas that new weed was causing much trouble
in the wheat fields Last year the complaints
came from q wider range. and during the
present year the area infested by the weed has
more than doubled. The mon who sent pieces
OF the plant for examination said that 1t was
commonly called the Russian thistle or Rus
sian cactus. as 1t was supposed to have been
introduced by the Russians. The botanists Of
the department, upon examining the plant
found that it was q saltwort and not true
thistle or cactus. but near relative to the
common tumble weed. 1t is native OF south
ern Russia. where 1t has long been a trouble
some weed.
country about seventeen years ago. in flaxseed
brought from Russia and sowed near Scotland.
S. D. few observing people noticed 1t at
that time. but gave it little thought until It be-
came too abundant to be easily checked. In
up tenders nno BRAN hing shoot With nm narrow
succulcnt leaves. During the warm weather
In IVY sd whsp sfs weeds axe
and by H;e ,,Ia r,h has changed from an
In tn fnAt in 1tpV, ataV
Of "D risd SraneGss' Offering an eIrecsasi
long. tender leaves have fallen. and Mt inter.
walls Of half an inch or less on the branches are
nm inch long. The fu-Grown plant shaped
like an inverted saucer two to six feet In
s al IRON Wien fpF s .
frozen in Noyemberand the prairie breezes be:
Is, twisted oil and the whole plant turns w on
edge. Ike a cart wheel, and goes OIL before the
wind. scatternG seeds at every revolution. a..
greater part OF tho land between the James
and Missouri rivers in south Dakota. and parts
Dakota. in all about 10000 square miles. and
the damage done lex exclusively by this weed was
Wisconsin. Iowa, and Nebras ta have been in
vaded. Thore is nothing IN the nature, Of the
far south as Texas. and. in fact, proving Il very
regions throughout tho entire country.
1t takes complete possession OF cultivated
land. choking out tho wheat and other crops.
The rigid. bulky plants often mako it i'm pos
sible to run harvesting machinery. and some
times even stop pougha. 1t is often necessary
to bind leather or other protection on the
horses legs bc'orethe can he driven among
the spiny weeds. Trains have been stopped
by tho thistle banking up on the tracks. Prairie
fires are carried long distances by the burning
thiStleS Blowing across fire breaks. In many
other ways this terrible weed causes serious
damage.
1t may he extermnated with comparative
ease IL vigorous measures are resorted to. The
plant is an annual. growing each year from tho
seed. The seed Is short lived and IL no fresh
seed is allowed to he produced for three years
the fight will he over. The war OF extermina-
ton must extend all over the region. for it will
avail but little for single township. county.
or even State to kill the weeds within It's bor-
ders while they are allowed to grow in the
neighbOrng region. The work OF extermina-
tion must DO general and 1t must be thorough
ly done.
A movement is now on foot In the Northwest
to petition Congress- 70 give the Secretary OF
Agriculture power to institute vigorous IN cas-
ures as was done In the case OF pleuro-
pneumonia among cattle q few years ago.
Judicous expenditure of $2.OOO.OO0 would
now probably eXterminate the thistle. 1t did
damage to that amount last year: this year
the loss is twice that sum. and il the weed IL
allowed to 20 unchecked there Is every proba-
bi!ity that tho, damage will go on increasing
In EeOMetrical ratio,