Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-02-14

nesota, and nearly dozen states and
territories are infested. Even Mani
toba has already begun producing
this weed along some OF it's railways.
at IL on the farm and ''home ram
ches" in the drouth country that the
Russian thistle will do most harm;
but the strip of border land between
the farms and ranches is by no means
the only area in which the Russian
thistle will cause trouble. 1t will be a
pest in the entire prairie region OF the
northwest and in the dryer regions
among the Rocky mountains.
at is impossible for one farmer to
keep his lard rid OF Russian thistles
if others in the neighborhood allow
the lar2e tumblers to ripen and be
blown about, scattering their seeds.
"Mr. Dewey, OF the department Of
agriculture, estimated that the loss
caused by this weel in the year 1892
was over 50, 900, 900. The newspa-
pers recently quoted me as estimat-
ing the present annual loss caused by
this pest at > 1000, 600, but this is
my estimate Of the annual loss this
weed will cause when it has spread
osCt liz III III IA SCCUlOH, aDONc
mentioned, extending from Canadato
Mexico. And there will not be many
years required for it to cover this vast
area.
"IG is claimed by many that eradi-
catlCn is impossible. 1t is difficult,
but not impossible. We had men
capable OF handling armies OF soldiers.
We have engineers capable OF building
a Ferris wheel Or constructing great
canals, and politicians able to lead
great parties, and We should be able
to Ind men in the several states cap
able OF handling a concerted move
ment to eradicate this weed. it is
now a business question.
"Of all the discussions and PROPOSE
tions s far seen by me the bill re-
Gently introduced by Senator E. J..
Jones, OF Morris, seems the most prac-
teal to meet the conditions in Mime
sofa. Senator Jones provides that
the county or town boards shall set a
date before which all owners OF lands
are required to destroy Russian
thistles growing on their premises.
The road supervisors also are re-
CURED to destroy all t~llistles growing
along highways before the published
date. After this date, il any persons
have not destroyed all thistles grow
ing on their lands the road overseer
is required to enter their lands and
destroy the thistles.
"The account Of the expense OF kill.
ing the thistles on each piece OF land
is reported to the county officials, who
pay for the work from a thistle fund.
The expense of destroying the thistles
on each piece Of land is assessed
against he negligent owner and is col
lected with other taxes. When this
tax has been paid by the owner the
county treasurer returns the money
TO the state treasurer. The state
thus loans the money with which to
do the work and will get nearly all
back when the taxes are paid.
collectors to legislation looking 20
the eradication OF Russian thistles
have little OF substantial reasoning to
support their position. An OCCASION
al argument heard is that the plants
when young mase good pasturage,
and when nearly grown they make
good hay. While it must be admitted
that stock will eat the young plants,
they do not relish them as q rule.
at has been thought by some that
because the individual Russian thistle
is easily killed that the farmers should
be able to Destroy it on their own
land without law or public aid. So
would an individual smallpox germ be
killed, but when some man goes
abroad scattering the seeds of this
disease, society at once takes charge
OF the matter. 1t is the ability and
the certainty of the seeds spreadingto
all farms that makes the Russian
thistle q. pest"