Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1895-08-23
AN UNWElCOME VISITOR HERE
The Russian Thistle Has Been Dis
covered By Judge Burleigh in
Great Falls.
The Pest Must BE Eradicated at An,
Cost, Says the Government
ROtanist.

Much has been written about the Rus
sian thistle, which has grown to be euch
d deadly enemy to the farmer that whole
counties have been abandoned by tho
Agricultural to it's ravages in the Da-
kotas, and the citizens acknowledging
their inability to cope with it have ap.
pealed to the nationa! government to aid
them with millions of dollars in the way
Of u fund to exterminate the %noxious
weed.
The unWelcomc visitor has arrived in
Great Falls, and AS each weed distributes
about 10000 aeeds, it is imperatively
necosBary to take prompt measures at
once to eXterminate tho weed. The fol
lowing correspondence eXplains itself:
Great Falls, Mont, Aug. II, 1880
10 Inc EdjiOr Of IHc Irjbuur:
1t may be Of interest to Some people.
and especially to those who till the soil,
To know that tho 50 called Russian
thiatlc has gained a foothDId in this
county, or at least that il is to be found
growing IN this city.
4 year ago ! noticed Il weed growing
on Fourth avenue north in this city that
struck nae rs something that was not
common ana that II was not Il desirable
addition to the already numerous nDX
ious weeds 81 this region / felt assured.
FOR GcV"al wGnks watched its
gro tn, NOT haVlng any idra that it was
Il specimen Of the much dee pissed Russian
thistle, and finally before had satisfied
myself aa to tho identity Of the plant it
diaa ppeared.
During the winter following ! received
from Senator Mantle IA cOpy Of tho re-
port Of the United States department of
agriculture for the year 1892, and upon
perueing its pages ! found an "iiluetra
ton Of the weed in question. and was
at once struck with It's similarity to the
weed | had been watching Il few months
before, but 1t is difficult to identify Il
plant from memory, and | resolved to
watch for it the coming season.
A few weeks ago ! again found numer-
Gus specimens Of the weed and at once
sent n Of them to the hotanist of the
United States department OF agriculture
at Washington for examination. Today
Il reply was received, of which tho an
nexcd is Il copy, and it speaks for itself.
Every cultivator Of tho soil, as we'll as
everybody else, should do all in their
power to help eradicate this weed wher-
ever it may be found growing in this
city, county or state, for once thoroughly
established in a sparsely eettlcd region
like this and it never can be gotten rid
Of, and it will prove IA pest that will make
the life Of the farmers and ranchmcn u
burden. w, =. BuELElGu.
copy Of letter referred to above
81. S. Dept. Of Agriculture,
"Diviaion Of Botany,
"WAsruNcTrN, u. G., Aug, -, 1893. \
''N. T. BrELEIoIr, Phelps Block, Great
Falls, Mont, Doar Sir: Your letter Of
Aug. y, incIntlug a weed for lIontiiica,
non, has been received and referred to
the divieroL ii botany,
"iho plant r. l|iur4iau thiRtIe tSaisOla
kalia'ragueI The specimen sent ia IN
Hover and pIanie ~ ,hlR condition
Hhould h" cut WITHIN two weeks 40 us 10
prevent the production nf seeia. IN
aiatcH where thcRr weeds have become
widely d,htributrd special Efforts are
being made during thls pra9ou to Gradl
cate 1t HIH It Is to bn hopcd that in those
rrgioua Whcre It ha5 been recently IN.
lroIncnd vigorous tuoaeurcs for lta nrHdi
cation uHy he undertaken before il ir
cpmes widely IIatuuut"i.
"a copy VI circular No, >, giving an Hc
count Of the Elroian thistle Hnu nlraua
for ItH eradication, viii be malIrd to you
a olmilA1 copy "IU bo mailed b. ANYONE
applyiup for the came, Yours truly,
II. II. DD"Er, Assistant Rptaulht.'