Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-11-23
THE RUSSIAN
The Department OF Agriculture
Tells How to Eradicate the Pest.

| The Department OF Agriculture
Tells Howto Eradicate the Pest.
Portions Of the two Dakotas are great
" damaged by the constant increase OF
the Russian thistle, which SPREADS and
increases at an alarming rate. The past
season there were many fields in both
states that would not pay for harvest
ing, and were left entirely to the thistle.
And for these reasons the following from
the Department OF Agriculture at Wash
ington is particularly valuable and in
teresting. We ask IA close reading Of the
article by farmers and all interested in
farming:
Plow in August IF early September, be
fore the Russian thistles have grown
large and stiff, and before they have
gone to seed, using care that all weeds
are well turned under. Burn over stub
bic fields rs soon as possible after har-
vest. or cut the stubble with a moving
machine.
Cutting the stubble and thistles before
the latter have gone to seed will help.
but is not thoroughly effective without
| fire, as the thistles vii send out branches
below where the moving machine cuts
them.
Ii the weeds have been neglected, and
have grown large and rigid, as they do
by the middle oISeptember, especially on
neglected barren iallow or spring-plowed
| breaking. they may be raked into wind
rows and burned. The old fashioned re-
L rrp1yin~ lao ,-rnta ON raEa n,n.1a on
pecially strong sc as TO pull the weeds,
and especially good at clearing itself in
| dumping, will answer the y
A much better method is to SOW clover,
millet Or rye, pasture il and plow it un-
der green. This will be beneficial to the
land, especially il a comparatively large
proportion of clover is used, aud the
weeds will be choked out. Millet and
oats combined may be grown and cut
for hay.
Corn, potatoes, beets, or any cnltivat-
ed crop, well taken care OF, viii in two
years rid the land OF hot only Russian
thistles, but nearly al other weeds.
Sheep are very fond OF the Russian
thistle until it becomes too coarse and
woody. BY pasturing the sheep on the
Young plants they may be kept down.
In fields were the weeds are thick drag
with an iron harrow, hitehiHg the team
on by a long chain. As soon as the har-
roy is full OF weeds set fire to them and
keep dragging and burning.
III the Russian thistle is to be kept out
OF the cultivated fields it must be exter-
minated along the roadsides, railroad
grades, in all accidental places where it
NAV have obtained a footbold.
The ordinary road machine may be
used to advantage along the roadsides,
the scrap"r being set SO as to take as
thin layer OF earth as possible and throw
weeds and all to the middle of the track.
A single trip each way with the road
mncline would be sufficient in nearly all
| places to take the weeds between the
beaten track and the prairie grass. so
that 10 or 20 miles a day could be- easily
cleaned. This work should be done in
| August.
He also makes n few recommendations.
chief OF which are:
A little careful legislation that will
touch up the careless farmer, thenon-resi-
dent land owner ana the railroad COM
paDles would aid considerably in the So
luton OF the problem.
Place a Russian thistle in each school
house, so that the pupils may become
Iainillar with 1t, aud teach them to kill il
wherever they find it as they would kill
a rattlpsnake.
Permit no Russian thistle to go t.
seed. The plant is I'm a%naual; the seeds
are evidently short lived; hence ii no
plants ARE permitted tn go to seed for
two years the WED will in all probable.
ty be exterminated,
The people OF Rapid City are very much
pleased with the announcement which
has been made that the money has been
secured Tor the building OF the Dakota
and Wyoming railroad from Chamber
lain TO Rapid City. A few days ago
negotiations Were completed between
parties in London and the company for
the placing OF bonds to the amount OF
100000 a mile for 800 miles from n
poin, On the Missouri river to some point
la wyoming. This, with the agreement
OF lllcngo PARTIES TO proceed with the
building OF the road. means that over
3ho miles OF railroal will be built i'm
St,tlth Dakota iifyt ytar. PARTIES from.