The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-01-25
The Russian Thistle.

tate of Nebraska until it has become
Jas great a pest as Johnson grass is
sto Texas. We do not want the thistle
An Texas, and the best way to keep it
put Is for farmers TO post themselves
IN regard to it and eradict it when
>hrst discovered, as it is almost certain
10 find its way to our state, if IL has
not in fact already reached us. Per
haps the most dangerous source by
which the seed may reach Texas is
cattle cars sent here to transport our
Z, reeves to Northern markets, hence
long the railroads and about railroad
took pens is where the greatest eau
+ ion should be exercised,
Il Following are the remarks taken
tom the bulletin, together with des-
2riptiOn of the dangerous weed:
The so-called Russian thistle has
|btainei strong foothold in Ne
braska and evidence accumulated
this year indicates that IL is spreading
with considerable rapidity, and that
If means are not taken at once to check
Or destroy it, it will soon be most
serious farm pest, In south Dakota
1t has now become 30 abundant that
the damage this year has been estl.
mated at several millions OF dollars,
and so firmly is it established there
Nthat the authorities are hopeless OF
being able to eradicate 1t without aid
from The general government. The
r. 4 .asnt %
i this should certainly occasion some
anxiety to every one who has the good
{of the state at heart.
| An incpeclion OF the accompanying
map, prepared from data at hand, Will
show approximately the extent OF It's
distribution. There are, no doubt,
many other localities than these given
I'm which it occurs, but with our pres
sent information alone we find that
no less than "a counties are infected,
or more than one fourth of the state.
1t appears to have come inIo the
state along our northern boundary,
and was probably introduced from
South Dakota, where it mas been for
about II years. 1t is fol-
lowing the es ablished lines Of
travel, as il shown by its occurrence
along the Elkhorn railway and the
Black Hills line of the Burlington
system. Stock cars appear to be car
lrying the seed to many parts of the
state, and this is likely to be rapidly
increased from the fact that it occurs
I'm the stock yards in South Omaha.
I In all probability it was brought to
the last named place in cars of stock
from infected regions in the state, or
more Likely outside the state This
in turn has become q source of intec-
tion for other parts of the state. AL
ready at five points at least the pest
has appe AIRED south of the Platte river
and these are so far apart and all on
railway lines that we cannot account
for it's appearance by simple spread.
ingoby the winds or other agents
The plant is very prickly and has
,lthe general shape and appear.
lance of the common tumble
weed. In fact il Is tum.
Hble weed of the worst kind. When it
breaks Off at the root late in the fall,
1t rolls away in he wind at rapid |
rate, sca tering its seeds upon every |
rod of ground over which it travels |
The weed measures about IL feet in |
diameter and foot or so i'll height.
Well grown plants in the DAkotas
Iare said to reach or 5 feet in diane.
ter, end even more in exceptional
cases. The prickly branches are 30
dense that it Is impossible to pass
} ones hand to the interior OF the bushy |
plant.
COMPLETE DESCRIPTION.
In order that every person may |
have access to complete description
! of this plant the following account
prepared for this bulletin by Il. II.
Dewey of the department of agricult-
IRE, Washington, ID. e., is inserted,
and following this is a more popular
statement for those not acquainted |
with technical terms or who may not |
care to examine closely into the de-
tails of it's structure.
"Salsola kali l.. var. tragus DC.
xiii. 2. 1877 Q840. Herbaceous,
| annual, dift'useIy branching |
from the base, usually densely
bushy at maturity, 5 to m. high and |
twice as broad, smooth or eighty |
hispid; root simple, dull white,
slight y twisted near the apex; leaves |
alternate, sessle; of the young plant
deciduons, succulent, linear or sub
terete, to en-. long, spiny-pointed,
aud with narrow, denticulated, MEM
branaceous margins near the base;
leaves of mature plant persistent,
each subtending two leaf-like bracts
and flower, at intervals of 2 to 10
man,, rigi, narrowly ovate, often den
tioulate ear the base, spiny.pointed,
USUALLY striped with red like the |
branches, to 10 nm. long; bracks di.
yergent, like the leaves in size, aud in
\ 81! respects but position; flowers etsi soil
itary and sessile, perfect, speta,.ons'
about 10 nm. in diameter; caiyx mem
ibranaceous, persistent, enclosing the
denressed fruit; usua ~ rose colored,
gamosepaIous, cleft nearly to the base
into five unequal divisions about a
nm. long, the upper one broadcast,
the two next the subtending leaf
next In size, and the !a;erai
ones narrow, each with a beak,like,
convenient apex, and bearing mid way
ON the back of a mem branaceous,
Sstriate, erose margined wing about