The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-02-20
THE RUSSIAN THISTLE.
The Interstate Conference Opens
Its Sessions

ST. PAUL, Feb. 14.-The interstate Rus
sian thistle conference called by the gov
ernor of Minnesota to devise ways and
means for the suppression Of that famous
and rapidly spreading weed met this morn
ing in the supreme court room at the capt.
toll The commissioners present were as
follows:
Minnesota Senator E. J. Jones and c. P.
Reeves; Iowa, ex-Congressman James Will
son and j. c. Baker; Wisconsin, Senator
Charles Fisher and Representative Frank
Fraser; Nebraska, Senator p. G. Stewart
and Representative J. K Lamborn; North
Dakota, Senator Valentine, Representative
F. w. Brainerd and A. H. Laughlin, COM
missioner of agriculture; United States, l..
H. Dewey, assistant botanist department
of agriculture. Among the other gentlemen
present were Prof. w. M. Hayes, of the Min
nesota Experiment Station; r. J. Hall,
prominent Farmers Alliance member, of
Morris, and A. j. Glover, Of Minneapolis,
large farm owner in North Dakota, all In
terested in the suppression of the damaging
weed.
Ex-Congressman Wilson suggested that
as Senator Jones, of Minnesota, had intro
duced the resolution which called the confer
ence together, it would be in order to name
him president. Representative J. K.
Lamborn was chosen as secretary.
The conference as Senator Jones stated,
was called for the purpose of agreeing upon
some uniform legislation to be adopted by
all the Northwestern states, also to secure
legislation and aid from congress to secure
the suppression of the weed. In order that
the conference might proceed with the full
est knowledge Senator Jones called upon
Botanist Dewey for statement of the
gneral status of the thistle question. He
called the attention of the delegates to
the rapid spread of the weed, saying that
the weed now is found in 20 states, and in
seven or eight Of which it is doing more or
less damage. He said the newspapers in the
East had changed their tune and the period
has passed when the Russian thistle is re-
garded a joke. He said the policy Of
the government, which heretofore had been
opposed to governmental aid might be
changed; he thought the meeting today was
a move in that direction.
Commissioner Laughln, of North Dakota,
detailed at length the efforts made to sup
press the thistle in that state. He discussed
the various means employed in that state,
including a stubble and weed-burning
chine which, he said might be of great
value.
Prof Hayes of the Minnesota Experiment
Station, gave the conference the benefit of
his labors in this field All agreed that
something must be done promptly, and by
all the states and the people Of the states
as well as by the general government to es-
cape the damage threatened. Upon motion of
ex-Congressman Wilson a committee of five
appointed to draft resolutions, includ
ing a memorial to congress upon the sub
ject. The chair appointed Messrs. Wilson,
Fisher Stewart, Brainerd and Reeves.
A committee to consider the several
drafts of bills was also appointed, consist
ing of Messrs. Lamborn, Baker, Fraser.
Valentine and Jones, to which were added
the three experts, Prof. Dewey, Prof.
Hayes and Commissioner Laughlin.
The conference then took a recess until
o'clock in the afternoon.