Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-08-16
THE RUSSIAN THISTLE.

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OF agriculture, has issued a Russian
thistle bulletin which farmers of the
state may find of much benefit to them
In giving a knowledge of the this tie,
which it is said has made its appear
ance In some counties of the state. The
bulletin is pamphlet of sixteen pages
and not only fully describes the pest
but tells how to combat it. The pub
Hcation can be had free by addressing
+. ID. COburn, secretary state board of
agriculture, Topeka, Kan.
After giving history of the first ap-
pearance of the thistle in this country,
Secretary Coburn gives a description
OF it taken from a bulletin issued by
the United States department of agri-
culture.
I'm May and June the seeds of the
weed terminate, each sending up on
slender red stem two narrow green
leaves about an inch long and some
what similar in appearance to shoots
of grass. Between these seed leaves a
short stem soon appears bearing slen-
der, spine-tipped leaves, which later
produce branches in their axis. These
young shoots and leaves are tender and
juicy, and are eagerly eaten by sheep,
cattle and horses Until the dry
weather begins, the plants grow rather
slowly, but they store up an abundance
of moisture in the succulent leaves and
branches. During the dry weather in
August the moisture disappears from
the slender leaves, and they wither and
sometimes fall off.
During August and early September
the plants become rigid throughout
and increase rapidly in size, often
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and four to six feet in diameter, form
ing a dense bushy mass of spiny
branches. By the middle of September
the exposed parts of the plants have
usually changed in color from a dark
green to a crimson or rose red.
The root, one-half inch or less in
diameter, is broken at the surface of
the ground by the force of the wind,
and the plant is blown about as a tum-
bleweed, scattering seed wherever it
goes. The seed remains inclosed in the
paper-lilse perianth, and together with
this is loosely held in it's place by num-
erous twisted hairs, SO that it is not
readily shaken loose from the plant. A
plant may, therefore, roll about all
winter and still retain some of its seed
until the following spring. When the
seed breaks loose from the plant, the
paper-lilze flower surrounding it acts
as a sail, SO that it may be carried a
long distance over the snow independ-
emily of the rolling plant. The seeds
would not be carried through the air
like thistle down, except in the case OF
very high winds, and they would not
be blown very far over bare ground.
"a single plant of average size, two
to three feet in diameter, and weigh
ing two or three pounds at maturity
when dry, is estimated to bear 20, 600
to &c, 900 seeds. Single plants have
been found six feet in diameter, weigh
ing about twenty pounds when thor
oughly dry, and estimated to bear
about 2OO, 900 Seeds
When seed crops are grown, unless
extreme care is taken in threshing and
cleaning the grain, where the Russian
thistle abounds, the seeds of the this
tie are certain to be present and to be
sown with the grain the following
spring. If the grain is shipped to dis
tant localities, the seeds of the thistle
go with it. If the thistle is allowed to
seed in our state, its rapid spread is in
evitable.
The following recommendations as
to the manner of combating the thistle
are given in the bulletin:
Sow no small grain that is not thor
oughly clean from weed seeds. The
seed of this plant is as large as mus
tard seed, and may be known by the
fact that the embryo is spirally coiled,
in form like a small snail shell.
A good wire fence is of much advan-
tage.
Do not not break up any more of the
native sod than you can tend and keep
clean.
Put all land sown to wheat or small
grain in such condition that the crop
may have the best possible start of the
weed.
Do not allow scattering weeds to
reach tumbling size. Where it is
abundant NOW, rake and stack as you
would hay until the time comes when
you can burn it.
The weed should be plowed under
when immature.
Never try to run a barren fa1low
where this plant is abundant.
Patches of the weed may be effectu-
ally destroyed, as follows: Instead of
trying to run a barren fallow, sow on
IL fair quantity of the small grain, say
rye, wheat or oats, pasture until late
in July or first of August, then turn
under thoroughly.
To keep land which is yet free from
the pest from becoming seeded by the
tum bling weeds and free seeds, the fol-
lowing plan is worthy of trial: Sow
each spring strip of sunflowers about
one drill width around each field. In
duce these to grow as dense and strong
as possible. Leave the stalks standing
during the following autumn and win
ter. clearing the ground by fire in the
spring.
We believe that each farmer can
readily keep his own farm clear of this
weed, provided it is kept off the waste
lands and roadside. For this purpose
we have state law with direct refer
ence to this weed. Enforce it. If for
some reason it is Intellectual, the peo-
pie of this state should find it out
speedily, that it may be remedied.
Caused by a Broken Rail.
HENDERSON, KY, Aug. "a south
bound freight train of the Ohio Valley
railway ran off the track near Wilson
station, miles from Henderson, kill
ing a negro tramp and badly smashing
several cars. The casualty occurred