The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-07-26
THE RUSSIAN THISTLE.

The University Experiment Station
has issued bulletin on the Russian
thistle, giving the more important
features of the law which was passed
last winter by the legislature. This
law requires those owning, occupying
or controlling lands to kill all Russian
thistles growing thereon and making
it the clearly defined duties of certain
officials to destroy the thistles on
roads, streets and other public lands,
and to see that they are destroyed on
the lands of negligent owners. The
bulletin says the provisions of the law
are clear and the penalties strong
enough so that it can be enforced;
that the legislature meant that the
people should have means of stop
ping the spread of this pest, and not
only enacted good law but provided
money with which officials can destroy
the weed on lands of negligent own
ers, and the cost of the same to be col
lected in taxes and returned to re-
volving fund in the state treasury.
Effective work, says the bulletin,
during the latter part of July and dur
ing August means the nearly entire
eradication of this weed from the
state and makes it possible in the
future for the people to control this
invader.
Among the recommendation made.
is that date must be set by the board
of county commissioners in each
county before which all thistles must
be destroyed. For the southern one
third of the state it says this date
should be about August 25th, and if
not already attended to the date
should be fixed at once.
AS to the provisions of the law,
land owners or those occupying or con.
trolling land within or without vii.
lagos or cities are subject to fine il
they do not comply with the law, be.
sides having to pay for the work OF
| the officials. The fine is not less than
ten nor more than one hundred dol
lars. Township supervisors, village
or city councilmen, county commits.
sioners and weed agents are also sub.
ject to a fine of not less than $25 mol
more than 500 for neglect of duty re.
garding this law.
The bulletin gives general direc-
tions as to the course to be pursued
on farms in the determination of the
weed, and says that roads and along
fences should be closely watched.
Continuing it says:
1t is very important that the cru
SADIE be commenced at once and prose-
cuted in every county and town COM
munity where the Russian thistle has
gotten hold. Certainly it is not too
much to hope that no large tumblers
will be allowed to ripen its seeds and
tumble over neighboring farms. This
alone would greatly retard the spread
of this weed in Minnesota. But we
are able practically to eXterminate it
and every neighborhood should have
enough self-interest and pride to en-
force the law most rigidly. The cities
are the worst infested and they owe
it to the farmers as we'll as themselves
to invest enough money and energy to
clean their streets and unoccupied
lots that they may not be further
source of infection to the rural dis.
trict. The railways have as a rule
acted more energetically in killing
out this weed than have cities or
farmers. The exceptions can now be
compelled to act in the matter.
The Russian thistle is an annual,
the plant is easily killed by cutting
it off below the branches at the sur
face of the ground or by blowing or by
the use of ordinary cultivation imple-
ments. Its seeds are soft and will not
retain their vitality more than a year
or two. The weed is terror mainly
because of the large quantity of seeds
it produces and its great ability to
travel before the wind Each person
owes it to the community to not grow
weed which will blow upon the
lands of his neighbors. The state has
wisely organized a systematic effort
to control the weed and has furnished
a liberal amount of money to pay the