Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1893-04-07

&RSsss NssA 49, SSt4bv
los4aiet ~ llsssstiEAte M subject.
TsIpil lesssafkatls plant which II
errsaJing rsi6ily over tho two Da.
kolss md Aiiunesota 4 called tho
Ilussista thistle. % Russian cactus.
slss y teSlly neitt,cr : thistle nor !
cactss. LHt ! saltwost, closely 70.
lated u tie tuf5l,le we'd. III Rus.
III y il known - Tie Tartar weed.
Il \ annually growing sac, year
from The seed. EacL plant a.tains
! hei9ht 81 lrom nix inches to three
iset. branches ~proinssly and forms 4
dense bush. Instead IL lcayes, The
branches bear closely set groups Of
spiNes. AZ the base of each
cluster Of spincs Il ! small paper
u Hover. On pulling tie petals
apart,s pulpy, green seed IL found.
shich looks like ! minute snail
shsli. Asit ripens tie seed becomes
bard and gray.
This description would not seeln
q mark tho plant % extraordinary
IA any way. But ~ soon AZ the
seeds arc ripe i exhibits most sur
prising phsnomenen. Al the earli-
81 frost i turns from dsrx green 10
crimson. When tho ground be.
comes frossn and the November
winds blow scress tho prairie. it's
small root shriyels aud loosens it's
bold. Thur II deliberately permits
itself q b blown out Of the soiI,and
being IN the form ofa fairly COM
pact hall j 10 carried away by the
breeze, rolling across The country at
: raci,,e speed, aud scattering ils
sesd y every bound. Il only stops
when the wind goes down or when
torn - places.
When 6erce fires rage across the
plains these dried anil infiammable
balls fly before the wind which
drives tho flames. Catching fire.
they easily leap before the are
bresks-stripes Of ground kept clear
y stop the progress u prairie fires
are called -setting alight the dwell
tngs, barns and stacks for Tho farm.
efs. 70 diatolical are The ways 81
this incendiary plant that 4 story is
current that several Russian i,nmi.
grants sowed its yeeds for the pur.
pose q injuring I community which
had expelled than. However. the
faft almost undoubtedly il that the
frst seeds were brought fifteen years
ago 70 Bos. Hoaams county, s. D.,
mixed with max seed imported nom
Europe. The few plants grown
from these seed increased slowly
and almost unnoliced until 1885.
~ that time they were thoroughly
acclimated and naturalixed, and
partaking Of the conquering spirit
Vt The West, they proceeded 10
spread mxFvelously.
The peculiar adaptations Of the
Russian thistle for incendiary pur-
poses is only one Of its Objectionable
characteristics. Because Of its
spiner, which arc AZ sharp and
much stronger than those Of the
common thistle, il il difficult 70
drive horses through 4 field where
i b abundant. Horses running in
pasture have their legs lacerated
~ the vegetable needles, which
break of under the skin and make
fostering sores. The plant, having
gained . foottold on apiece OF land,
anon takes possession Of il 70 the
exclusion Of everything else. Tie
balls arc often carried with the wind
f',r ten miles OF more in 1 season.
Shifting breesrs shit them hither
and thither, 90 that the seeds which
they SCATTER are blown everywhere.
In every badger, bnrrow and green
spot On the prairie; on every rad.
side. railway and neglected garden;
ON every field Of early plowed land
miay b seen . patch Of thees weeds.
The seeds are also conveyed in the
bedding or satth in stock cars.
Wherever dropped they maks new
csHtsrs IL growth.
About 10000 squars miles Of ter.
ritory are already infested by this
psst. IN many localities in states
further east Tho tlistles have been
introd uccd, although they hsve not
YET bscpn,e sufficiently abundant to
cauae alarm. A few for example,
arc growing fnAly along ths Chicago
Milwaukee 4 81. Paul railroad, Just
east Of Sioux City, Iowa. In tho
badly afflicted area more than 10000
acFes aFs devoted " wheat raising.
The average annual loss Oh the pro-
iducs on this land due 70 tho Rus
s1ian wssd = 4 least ave BUSHES an
aeFss Calis 8,2oo,OO0 bushels ia
~. st'6O csnts ! bushel, represent
Inc ! yearly loss 10 the farmers OF