Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1895-02-21
Spontaneous Generation of Weeds.
1t has often been matter OF wonder
and anacn lation In tho f,llo. o1 he coil

spontaneous Generation Of Weeds.
1t has often been matter OF wonder
and speculation to the tlller OF the soil
to tell from where, and whence, come the
new varieties OF vegetation -noxlous in
many instances-which spring up on
breaking, distant probably miles from
cultivated fields. 1t is not q question
peculiar to any particular locality, re-
glon, cline or age, but has probably been
asked IN every generation since the dis
covery OF the North American continent.
Immediately upon the cultivation of the
virgin soil new species of plant life,
strangers to surrounding varieties, in
the midst of which they rise, make their
appearance. On breaking, which has
been allowed to revert TO it's natural
state, their grows spontaneously lux
urlant growth of grass Of character en-
tirely dissimilar from that which orig
lnally covered the prairie. From where
did the seed come? Has it been lying
dormant in the soil needing but to be
brought to the surface and air to gener-
ate! are questions which are asked. In
reference to this subject, in letter to
The Northwest Magazine. B. s. Russell,
of this city, gives the results of bis long
years OF keen observation and practical
exprlence. He says:
Every man and boy living on the prai-
rie knows we'll that whenever the plow
breaks up the sod that has been ages in
accumulating, there sprlnR up within q
few weeks many varieties of noxlous
weeds never seen on the wild, unbroken
prairie-the ''pig weed" the "red root"
the stumble weed.'' the "wlld buck
wheat" spring up and grow with rank
ness that testifies to the richness Of the
soil. Where did the seed come from, is
asked, as it was and yet is. in country
OF forests There is but one answer to
this question that has ever been given,
to my knowledge, and that is to Le found
in Genesis, where the Creator of the
world says to Adam: "Cursed is the
ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt
thou eat of 1t all the days OF thy life;
thorns also and thistles shall it bring
forth to thee. x In the sweat of
Thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou
return to the ground; for out of 1t vast
thou taken" Hence from that time,
whenever by the labor of the hands and
sweat of the brow the sons of Adam have
titled the gground, these noxlous pants
have, in fulfllment of these words,
sprung up, and have not appeared be-
fore.
But to every dark cloud there is
silver lining. Whenever the wild
prairie sod is broken up in May and
June there is eXbaled from it such vapors
that poison the atmosphere and result.
in the last OF August and early in Sept
Der, IN low malarial fever attacking
those who live near extensive breaking.
A remedy for this that exceeds n virtue
any OF the medicinal remedies of the
apothecary. IS found in plant that
grows, for the fret time, on the new
breaking. It is found where the new
furrow on the edge of the breaking is
turned on the old sod, and from its odo.
and shape of the leaf shows that It ls
variety Of the saQe-yet I have never
found it on the wild prairie-and have
found tea made from it cure for
cases of this malarial fever; thus proving,
as could also be shown was the case in
the regions OF the forests. that love and
mercy we're blended with the infliction
of this penalty.