Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-02-25
THE FARM AND HOME.
A WORD OF WARNING TO IVES T.
ERIN FARMERS.
Root out tho weeds. Green Manurlng
Cheap Tee House Charcoal for
Animals Farm Notes aud
Home Hints.
FOO Many weeds:

1 -%N-1 %@AANANoSA0A NAAhuo - 4UEttt " li'
breeders Gazette in which, after ex
pressing his wonder at the marvelou,
evidences of rapid progress which met
him at every step, lac adds the follow
ing words of friendly criticism:
But the progress in agricultural de
velopment although marvellous Il
some respects has not kept pace Will
the progress in other directions. There
is cancer gRawing at it's vitsls aut
living on its life blood. refer TO the
universal prevalence OF weed life
which has far more than kept pace
with the march of American progress.
Weed life has apparently SO borne
down upon the Western farmer with
its legions that he is already in many
instances so completely conquered
that ia despair he has given up the
fight He is not only ready to say
that after all weeds do not injure tile
crop to any great extent, but he has
come TO that most hopeless Of con
illusions in agriculture, viz, that they
cannot be exterminated
Nor will il suffice to answer that
the extraordinary development OF
| weed life IS owing to the eNtraordin.
airy fertility of soil. for natural capa.
bilities Of the soil are incapable OF sus-
tanning weed life In It's most offensive
forms in the face Of firSt.class farm.
ing. Shame on that farming which
| concludes that weeds can not be over
come, or that il will not paw the
farmer to overcome them. That
philosophy should hang its head in a
shady place that teaches that after all
our noxious weeds do not work much
harm. At the risk of being called en-.
thusiast and crank aud alarmist, / can
not refrain from exclaiming that am
glad that | am yet alive to lift up my
voice against the amazing indifference
OF the farmers of so great continent
IN reference to the prevalence 81 weed
life.
1t need not be so The continent
could be practically cleared or the
more offensive forms OF weed life ia a
few short years il the farmers were
determined that 1t should be So and
this great deliverance could be brought
about without the loss OF single
crop 1t is greatly comforting TO
know that amid thousands OF yarie.
ties Of weeds that infest this conti-
neDt not more probably than score
are able to stand up against what may
be termed good farming. In other
words, not more probably than a score
OF these require specific modes Of
cultivation for their eradication
OF all the forms of weed life ia the
West which are troublesome and great.
" aggressive ragwecd is the worst.
would unhesitatingly crown sagwecd
king among the abomina BILE weed pests
that haraSs the Western farmer Far
he IL from me to sag one word that
would lead your farmers 10 look upon
the invasion of the Canada thistle with
but | am free To saw nj
the same time that regard ragweed
as Tar worse foe to fight than the
Canada thistle. The Canada thistle
can be completely eradicated ia two
years and without the loss OF one pay.
ing crop. This cannot be said Of rag
weed when il has once got firm foot.
hold.
IL is not the purpose Of this paper t1 I
give the modes Of obIiterating the I
more noxious forms Of weed life. To .
10 that would be to write volume.
dy object IS to sound the alarm in
he hope Of drawing attention 10 the
question. But it may accomplish
omething to refer 10 two or thres
hIngs. which, II but generally prac.
iced, will accomplish much in reduc.
ng weed life. Thousands and tens Of
thousands OF sheep may be given the
to turn them into mutton
o feed the epicure in Eastern cities.
ne mower may run over the pastures
: least once "a year, and over the
cwly sown meadows The scythe
an do its work in fence corners and
y-places. Autumn cultivation can
ury the unripe weeds in millions
fter harvest. The corn may be kept
lean instead of half clean and the
gricultural colleges By the force Of
receipt and example can imbue
ne young men who attend them with
n undying hate in regard to all the
forms of weed life. inso-
Inch that when they 60 back to their
lrms they will wage war of cxter.
ination against the hateful intruders.
pmc men say they have no time 10
, these things / have heard men say {
icy had no time to attend to their {
'votions, but never yet did believe
lem. shall close this paper by sub. !
lifting the following propositions: !.
he troublesome forms of weed life d
N be obliterated g This can be .
without the loss of
ngle crop; that is TO say without =
hitting one crop Tor single season. a
IL will pay the farmer to obligate /,
'xious weeds IL he intends to remain Q
ng upon the farm And 4. A farmer
n make more money who keeps his \
rm clean sthan one who does not 4
her things being equal. .
More OF Green ManurInk. II
There is quite a good deal OF what v
proaches to nonsense written now
d then, in these days about the n
rmnfion of ffffi.nfaa e., Tho gui1 tI.,t,. / N