The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-29
j. A. COUNTRYMAN.
HOW TO DESTROY WEEDS.

HOW TO DESTROY WEEDS.
At the Roseville (Pa.) farmers meeting
last week the main topic was weeds and
the prize the pennsylvania railrod has
offered Tor the best kept farm land along
its lines.
There were various ways and means of
warfare tod OF, but all were agreed that
snpddlnS, otherwise striking al the root
Oh the eVll, was easiest ana best, ana as
good as golf Tor exercise. a spud seemed
10 be the handle OF Il piIchtoik or hoe, or
SPADE, or any other Droken-oh TOOL 10
Wnlch sharp chisei-like blade could be
put on by The blacksmith, DuI there were
preferences as TO the shape of this blade
A half circle, it was agreed, was better
IMAM the whole but no one couid find
reason for abandoning the straight blade,
or as tney called IL, Dewey spuu-
but, 10 De most effective without prov
ing a WEAKNESS, they all said the Spud
must be OF good metal the slant not TOO
abrupt, and be kept sharp. To use the
spua. bend over the weed, if it is tan
enough, with the foot and strike through
the stalk below the surface with the spud.
IL young growths, strike with the spud
sidewise also beneath the surface 10
sever root from top.
Morris G.lllngham told how his boys
had been coming money this spring spud-
ulng dock and nettleS at 10 cents a hum
dred, but they would have to keep a
sharp lookout, as the contract called Tor
cent apiece Tor each plant OF either
found within the boundaries Of June !,
and ~ cents apiece for everyone that was
allowed to go TO seed.
To increase and multiply" said Farm
er Mann, was the divine command, ana
IL is IN obedience to il that ali nature
makes the supreme effort, struggling for
life and using the life only TO perpetuaIe
Itself; to have itself in its SUGGESTIONS to
snow for its existence. Nothing exists
Tor itself alone, but little by little we
are finding out that each plant has rela-
tons to some other form OF life, and these
to others. Sometimes these forms of life
are against mans interests. Sometimes
they are co-workerS with him, and it is
the wise man who learns to distinguish
foes and friends, and TO destroy the one
and protect the other.
But we are not all wise. We do not
even use the faculties that have been
given us. We have eyes, but instead of
looking all about and into the wonderful
works of nature more wonderful than
anything man has devised, we, like beasts
wearing binders, see only that which is
before the nose. and sometimes not
enough of that to keep from stumbling.
We have ears, too, but we hear not Ma
ture has laws which must not be trans
crossed, and our ignorance will not save
US from the penalties. We know weeds
| TO be robbers, in taking food and drink
/ from the plants and shrubs and trees to
! which we have given the land as right
/ full tenantS. But this is as nothing COM
| pared with the real harm they do in
serving as boarding houses for the in
]
! stroying those rightful tenants. When we
| rid our nelds, fence corners and road
sides of weeds, we rid them also of the
! insects which feed and breed upon them,
and which, without them, must die.
The worm nests in the trees by the
wayside may not be on our property, but
! the worms that are Matched therefrom
may build in our trees. and if we owe
! nothing to the world at large that should
lead us to destroy them we owe it to
! ourselves, as protection from a possible
| danger. | know 1t seems like an hercu-
lean task to rid the world of its insects
and its fungus disease, but if we will
each keep our fields and roadsides clean,
and counting it as a common evil, destroy
! all that we find along our way, we shall
at least have clean neighborhood, and in
! our increased prosperity be an example
others may see fit to follow.
THE time will come when insect-ha rbor-
ing weeds and the host plants of de-
structive fungi will be recognized as men
aces to property, and the law will de-
mand their destruction. AS it is they
are an indication of shiftlessness, when
either in the fence corners or by the road
! sides of a farm
II know farmer" said Chairman
| Dobbs, and everyone seemed to know that
he meant the last speaker. who carries
| d peculiar cane. 1t is hollow and widens
out at the bottom. On the top is a mental
! knob of a size to be comfortable to the
hand, and between this and the wood OF
the cane is a pretty stiff spring. Fast
| to the knob and extending down through
the cane is a piece of steel with the bot
tom broadened out and ground off like
a chisel. When this farmer in his travels
sees noXious weed he tramps it dowr
and planting the cane over the stalk a
the root, presses on the knob and the
spud has done its work.
He also pays cash down for every
worms nest brought to him in a cloth OIL
paper bag, and for cocoons and grubs
His chicken houses are built, some or
runners and some one homemade trucks
with cheap wheels, and before he begin:
blowing or harvesting the chicken house
is hauled to the field and is ready to be-
opened as soon as the men are ready t.
work. He says it don't take as muct
time to haul out the chicken house 4
would to spray dust after the insects ge
to work, and the chickens pay for theil
picnic in eggs. When / was ready to pillow
up the sod in my west field he sent hi:
chicken house over. and the quantities
of grubs those hens put away was
caution. When l cross plowed l had
chicken house of my own hauled over"