St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-09-01
Written for the FARMER.1
Wire Grass and Coco

Mr.. Editor: I promised, when suffi-
GENTLY advanced in experimenting with
these apparently ineradicable and un-
conquerable grasses, to give to you and
your readers the result. Though many
laughed at the undertaking, esteeming
their destruction impossible, have
operated far enough to know that in
cases Of gardens, at least. both Of these
grasses may he literally slain and eradi-
Gated from the soil.
l shall speak of it's utter destruction
in our gardens. Fields will require "A
different treatment. In Bermuda, or
wire grass. there is little difficulty If
properly managed. For the world do
not touch it while the ground is wet:
the hoe or pillow then will only multiply
it. Wire grass only roots near the
surface: it loves wet, but can't abide
to he disturbed in dry weather. The
dry weather of autumn is approaching:
let every man who, like friend OF
mine, has given up field to wire grass,
take dry spell and pillow it shallow.
one way then the other. thus tearing up
the roots. Then harrow it both ways.
and spread the heaps of grass out to
the sun. shaking out the dirt. and the
grass will soon he dead. The field may
then he cultivated. But If still too
much is left. seed it down thickly in
winter oats. cutting them in the spring,
then sow it down in cow peas. and these
two successive crops Of shnIe will ef-
fcctually destroy it. for neither wire
grass nor coco can bear long shade. as
found neither where heavy bunch of
bricrs grew.
The same treatment As the above will
also do for COCO. but COCO havin. nuts
deep below the surface. may require
two seasons before they are all or most
~ destroyed. for none of these plans
will completely eradicate these grasses
from a field, but they will destroy them
SO the land may be easily cultivated.
Bermuda or wire grass may also be
destroyed by being spaded and the top
turned deeply under. and remain six or
eight months undisturbed: but spear
must not he left out. or that spadeful
will still live.
III the case of my own experiments in
my garden. wire grass and coco had
had full swing for fifteen years. and
parts of it could only he spaded by
chopping around Il spadeful and turn
ing over in blocks. The wire grass
should have been taken of first. but il
was too wet and we lacked the time
vet i'm three months, our late spring
being dry. it was all gone, and by ex-
animation of the wire grass turned I'M
der. found it mostly dead.
So far as wire grass is concerned in a
garden. only want one dry spell to
kill it; but it must be dug up by the
roots, and if one small joint he left. il
will grow.
But in coco is the rub. The wire
grass has been dead and gone for
months. for l had it carried OF when
dry: yet though diggin. coco every day
since April or May, and not resting till
I got the nut, am still called to dig,
for it still comes up. Though Mt places
I had little box to sit OH, and tin
can to hold the fruit. would dig fifteen
or eighteen inches deep for hours in
the same spot; though all the garden
had it. it was not so bad as this only in
certain spots.
4 People dig for the nuts. KNOWN.
their extraction is the only sure way OF
killing it. thereby softening the ground.
and not finding half of the little seeds,
then when it rains they all spring up at
once. and so discourage them: whereas
if then they would dig them out. they
afterward would have but little trouble.
The only time felt discouraged was in
such case. and only the thought tina,
to stop then would be the loss of all my
previous labor kept me persevering
After this it was easy to keep it down
In the meantime was making an ex-
pertinent. the result of which I give
This. to those who feel disposed tC
wait little longer. may save the dig
giny altogether. l knew that nature
could be exhausted. \ grain of corn
if the first sprout be broken of. viii
rarely put forth another, and although
saw the coco grain is possessed OF
great vitality. yet knew it was not in.
exhauStiblc. Therefore dug up a num-
Der OF vigorous stalks and got thcil
nuts. severed the stalk from the seet
close to the nut, put the nuts In tin
can perforated ut the bottom. and KEEP
them supplied with water. Most o.
them sprOutcd again; some few ma!
have sproutcd twice: but in a month Of
two. by severing these, they died ant
ceased to sprout altogether. So herr
is mode to destroy coco and not di:
ut all. 1t takes longer. but is equal!
efiicarious as digging out the nuts: bu
1t must he regularly done every few
days at least; pull up the stalks by thu
roots. for If permitted to grow. the!
send forth substance down below to i'll
crease the colony of nuts. which some
times has half dozen to stalk O
spear.
Twill state here. for have last beer
speaking of a garden. that friend in
formed he had field Tor CUT of coc'
which was set SO thickly a plowmal
with sharp pillow could not pillow i
and gave it up. He managed to scratcl
it for crop of peas. and the next yea
it was nearly clear of it.
In the above items have given III.
experience with these stubborn grasses
No one who has them need despair
either in garden or field. They are no
ineradicable or uncOnqucrable, thOugl
r.