New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-09
THE NEW THISTLE.

In what q wonderful way does Nature provide
for unexpected emergencies. Take, for instance
| the existing situation i'm several OF the West
| ern States II has long been known OF course,
| that for the ordinary ass the thistle-either
| Canada or Scotch-furnishcd useful and MI
| tritio,s food In agricultural ncighborhoods
| there Is more or less prejudice against The
| thistle, as there Is in cultivated intellectual
circles against the ass. Efforts have been
made to extermnate the thistle. bur Nature has
| successfully resisted them mp Ia date, and 1t
seems probable that the plant Will flourish 50
| LONG rs the ass survives. The simultaneous
| appearance however, during I'll" last year of
| such Governors as Waite Of Colorado, Level
| ling Of Kansas and Pennoycr of Oregon has
| raised n doubt IN the minds of thoughtful men
rs 10 the suiiiciency of the ordinary thistle crop
To supply the extraordinary demand. AZ this
point providcnt Nature steps in. The cnlrr-
gcncy has been met by The appearance In The
Northwest Of Il new variety of thistle known
rs the Russian which grows 10 four feet In
height and seventeen feet In circumference. rs
appears from Il specimen forwarded 10 the
Agricultural Department at Washington. Mani
fcstly This Is an effort Of Nature 10 make pro-
vision for the new order Of Governors now
browsing over our prarics. II Is an cndcavor
10 keep up the relative proportion of the ordi-
nary thistle 10 the ordinary ass. Four feet by
seventeen may not prove entirely adequate. bur
il is at least a good beginning. II illustrates
The marvellous fertility and adapiabty Of
Nature.
We notice. however. that there still exists In
agricultural regions prejudice against The
thistle and desire for its determination. We
suspect that the feeling extends 10 the brood
Of Governors for whom the new variety Is in
tended as Il special provision. This prejudice
has found expression IN a bill Introduced by
Senator IIansbrongh, Of North Dakota, appro-
prating S1.OOO.OOO to the work OF cytcrnnat-
Ing the four by seventeen Russian thistle. BY
the terms Of the bill the Secretary Of Agr-
culture Is authorized TO employ Il large army
Of males and females. adults and children ut
a maximum compensation Of 50 and Il minimum
Of 81 per day 10 cyterminatc the thistle wher
ever found Ovcrsccrs are 10 BE- employed of
course. for what is an appropriation without IN
ovcrSccr?-at 81 per day 10 see that the actual
cxtcrminators earn their money. copy Of this
bill has been sent by the chairman Of the Sen
ate Committee on Agriculture 70 the Secretary
Of Agriculture with an inquiry as H. whether
II "nccts the emergency which seems 10 cX-
ist" and this inquiry Secretary Morton has an
swcrcd with letter propounding some constl-
tutional connndI1lIns Of the profonndest impOr-
lance rs 10 The right Of The Government TO hire
men. women and childrca at any rate ~ wages
10 invade private property for the purpose of
discriminating thsics, tobacco. hucl;lcberrics.
night blooming corcuS or any other product of
Nature. wholesome or unwhOlrsomc These
conundrlims he answers. laying his hand on his
breast with great solcmniiy. In the negative. be-
cause il savors OF patcrnallsm and is - inutc "
which. we may say in passing. is much bet
ter word than useless
The bill seems 10 Us. Notwithstanding. to have
It's advantages. chief Of which j. that II will
contribute scnsibly Ia the deficit in III" Treas
ury which the present Administration seems
To look upon rs the proper aim ~ all lcgisla
iion and Il contamination dcyouily 10 be wished.
II will also bc n good thing for large families
in the regions where the thistle fioursheS. II
will furnish employment for each member Of
The family AT 81 or - per day. with perhaps
SO per day for - the oil man with very
little thistle seed and small plot of ground
well sown. whole families would be able to
make good living ont Of it the year round. 1t
would help to lit mortgages and make homes
happy. In some respects II would he better
than calling seventy cents worth OF silver a