The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-15
THE RUSSIAN THISTLE
Botanist Dabney Submits an In
teresting Report on the Pest.
Where 1t FlOurishes Best and How 1t
Spreads-A Prolific Bearer of Seeds
Methods Of determination.

WASHINGTON, March 14-Assistant
Secretary Dabney. of the Department of
Agriculture, has sent to Chairman Hatch.
OF the House committee on agriculture a
copy of the latest report on the Russian
thistle, submitted by the division of botany
of the department. The report was made
by l.. II. Dewey. In communicating it to
Mr.. Hatch, Mr.. Dabney says that with
regard TO the further investigation of this
subject think you will find, after the thor
oHgh work that has been done upon il, ex-
tending over several years and embodied
In two reports, little moro remains to be
done. We may safely rely upon an en-
Ightened unselfshness in the various States
to do all that remains TO be done"
The report notes that the Russian thistle
made its appearance in this country a few
years ago in the wheat raising region of
the Northwest. The damage already done
by it is estimated at several millions of
dollars and the thistle is rapidly spreading
over new territory and being more destruc-
tive in the region already infested. Com
plants about the plant were first received
by the Department of Agriculture during
the fall of 1884, and during the dry season
of 1893 the weed reached unusual develop
ment and the farmers became sorely
alarmed at the situation. A single plant of
average size, two to three feet in diameter
and weighing two to four pounds when
dry, bears about twenty thousand to thirty
thousand seeds. Plants have been found
six feet in diameter and estimated TO bear
200 900 seeds. At this time all the counties
of South Dakota, east of the Missouri river
and twenty counties of North Dakota are
infested with the weed and the plants have
crossed to the west side OF the Missouri
river in at least four places in those States.
Two counties in western Minnesota, three
in northwestern Iowa and four in north
eastern Nebraska are thoroughly 1mpreg-
mated with the weed. Altogether this makes
one almost continuous area OF about forty
thousand square miles which has become
more or less covered with the Russian this
tie in the comparatively brief period of
twenty years. There are, besides many iso-
lated localities along the railroads as FAR
east as Madison, Wis, west TO Denver,
Col, and south TO the southern Dorder OF
Nebraska where the plants have been in
troduced. The rapidlty with Whlcn the
Russian thistle has spread for exceeds that
of any weed known In America.
The most active mode of distribution of
the Russian thistle and the one furnished
by nature Is the wind, and faxseed CON
tinueS to be- in the absence or good IAN
ming mills the chief artificial agent or dis
tribution. Railroads form third ana most
important means or Transportation T !, lor els tns
evidence that the railroads have carried
them In the bedding Of stock cars. These
cars are sent 10 the StOckydruS dl lhuldu-
apolis Chicago and Sioux City and unload
ed but they are seldom cleaned until they
are again sent out and have reached their
destination TO be reloaded. The plant is an
annual, easily killed al any time during the
growing season; il produces no seed before
the middle OF August or 1st OF September.
and the seed is short lived 1t therefore
offers exceptionally good opportunity for
being checked or even exterminated. For
any effective measures, however, there
must be concerted action throughout all the
infested area.
Sheep are very fond of the Russian
thistle until Ii becomes too coarse and
weedy. BY pasturing the young plants
they may be kept down and the only known
valuable quality of the plant utilized. All
the remedies given, the report says, are
directed TO destroy the plants before they
produce seed, and they are the only rem
edies. so far as known, which are effectual
or OF which there should be any need, eX-
ecpt care in cleaning the seed. 1t has been
suggested that each farmer whose land is
not fenced make temporary fence by
planting a double row of sunflOwers about
his farm each season. The cost would be
slight and the fence thus made would
doubtless aid very much in the fight unless
the SunfiOwers so abundantly produced
should become troublesome weeds