Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-07-26
AN INVASION THREATENED I!
The Russian Thistle Must be Met
and Conquered.

and Conquered.
The first Russian thistle which
has attracted any attention in this
community was brought to town
last Saturday by NJ. Badger, living
five miles south of town. This
weed has been very destructive In
the Dakotas, where it was first in
troduced by the importation of flax
or wheat from Russia about 16
years ago. Its extermination was
neglected until it became a great
scourge, causing many farms to be
abandoned. There are but COM
paratively few of the thistles in
Otero county now, but their de-
struction should proceed with the
greatest vigor if our farmers would
be saved large expense in years to
come.
A Catlin friend sends US the fol-
lowing communication, which con-
veys warming which should be
needed by every farmer in Otero
county:
It is said that if we feel that we
have q message to deliver to our
fellow mortals, and fail to do SO,
we are Sinking our duty. The
writer is under deep conviction
that an important message should
be placed before the residents of
our lovely valley. And the burden
of that message is the Russian
thistle. Only sixteen years ago
the seeds of this vilest of weeds
was brought to this country by
Russians, from their native land.
It first made its appearance in
South Dakota, since which time it
has caused whole townships to be
abandoned, and appeals have been
made to Congress to help in the
fight against it. 1t is described as
something between thistle and a
cactus. but really it is a member
of the tumbleweed family. This
horrid foreigner has made q set
tlement in our valley, and to the
writer's personal knowledge is
plentiful on the farms around Cat
lin and Olney, and some quite
thrifty specimens are growing on
the roadside between Catlin and
Rocky Ford, and there is no doubt
they are well distributed over the
whole valley. Where there is one
this year, there will be thousands
next, and millions the next, and SO
on indefinitely. Not only will they
be where they are growing this
year, but when ripened, they will
break off at the root, and like our
native tumbleweed, roll on before
the wind and scatter seeds where
ever they go. When once they
have taken full possession neither
man or beast can Withstand them,
and when in grain to be threshed
no gloves can be worn thick enough
to protect the hands from the
thorns. Now, Brother Farmers,
what sort of reception are we 60
ing to give this impudent alien?
Shall we hang up our hoes, and
let him clean us out? Already life
is burded to most of US, with the
fight we are making to keep even
with the sand burs cookie burs,
sunfowers, potato bugs, and all
the rest, but they can all take a
back seat when the Russian thistle
is around. Let us be up and do
ing, and armed with the proper
implements of warfare, swear ven
geance on every individual weed.
The ditch banks particularly should
be cleared of them, for the water
used in irrigating is fruitful
medium in carrying seeds. Now
is the time to act, for soon the
seeds will be forming, and the
weeds become more formidable to
handle as they complete their
growth.
| Us. Wilson in the American
Farmer and Farm News, says that
"the Russian thistle is an annual,
the seeds Of which are very small,
perhaps one quarter as large as a
common pin head. When the
seeds are ripe the top of the plant
| breaks loose lrOin Cne ToOt, dIter uue
fashion of tumble weeds, making
it free to be rolled about by the
winds scattering its seeds every
where it goes. These seeds germ
mate quite early in the season
about as early as any other seeds
of weeds and grasses. The plant
at first has two delicate spine-like
leaves. Other similar leaves form,
then branches, both of which are
round, semi-transparent, and some
times delicately striped with red
or pink.
The inconspicuons blossoms are
situated close to the stems or
branches of the plant. Three sort
of flat leaves, each with sharp,
thorny ends, the whole about SIG
of an inch long, surrounds the seed
cup. As the plant natures the
whole becomes woody and hard,
and ON account of the pricking
leaves, very unpleasant to handle
with the bare hands. This weed