The Van Buren press., 1896-01-18
FARMER AND PLANTER.
ABOUT WEEDS.
One of the Most Persistent Depredators
the Farmer Has to Contend With.

farmer as the weeds ana tnlsbles,
which he sometimes cultivates in his
fields or allows to grow in his pastures
and fence rows. He counts these no
part of his seeding, and hence he is apt
to neglect them, except so far as they
interfere with tho growing crops In
cultivating his corn one of his troubles
often is to keep down the weeds, for
these in good ground that has been
well matured and plowed, are apt to
grow in the early part of the season
faster than the corn. They often have
their roots started before the corn is
planted. and unless they are nipped
in the bud they soon become
troublesome-but If allowed a
fair chance 1t soon becomes
a race between them and the corn
which shall have the choice show of
the soil food. The farmers care, or
his pride, mostly, leads him to destroy
the weeds and assist the corn; but this
he does under a continual protest, as
If the weeds had no righ tof possession;
but the truth is, he has given them an
equal right with the corn, and often
pre-emption right. They have been in
the field all winter, and this by the aid
and good will of the farmer. This has
been done by allowing them to grow
either in this or some other adjacent
field, or along the fences on his farm
during the last year, until they pro-
duced and ripened seed, and in their
own legitimate way scattered them for
this years crop, and they are but using
their natural power of self-proteetion.
That the farmer has largely the con-
troll over these thieves of the riches of
his soil can not better be illustrated
than by the different modes of dealing
with them by two farmes, which we
witnessed this summer in their efforts
to destroy them. The first we shall
call Mr.. A, and his mode of treating
them can be understood when we say
that as we rode with him around his
farm in early harvest, and before the
weeds and thistles had ripened, we
met on the road two boys with heavy
hoes, cutting down close to the
ground, all the annual weeds and
digging up all that were biennial
or perennial, and piling them in
| in heaps to dry and be burned Com
| ing on a little further we were ac-
costed by two other boys at work in
| field with the information that there
were s'lots of them, but they were cut
| ting them elean,n We found upon in
quiring that this farmer was making
raid upon the invaders before they
could get in their work for the next
| year-and we have no doubt of the sue
cess of his plan. The other farmer,
Mr.. B, we passed when we were riding
alone through the country in the lat
ter part of September, when the weeds
| had made their full growth undis-
turbed, and had the seeds all ripened
and dry.
Mr.. B was apparently trying to rid
| his pasture land into which he had
turned his sheep, from thistles and
| burs and Spanish needles, to save
trouble with his wool next year. He
was armed with an old scythe and a
hoe, or old AK. When he first attract
ed our attention he was beating with
| heavy strokes at mammoth thistle,
dry and hard with all the heads ripe,
and ready to send the seeds flying, and
at each stroke hundreds of seeds took
to their wings and filled the air. The
wind, being astir, sent them in all di-
rections, even to the public road where
we were passing. We watched him for
awhile with surprise and pity, for he
was no doubt honestly trying to get
| -. = Il l.. al
weeds in the pasture. Next year he
will stirely reap, or, perhaps, | should
say raise, what he has sown, not only
in his pasture field, but over his whole
farm, and he will blame the weeds for
growing after he has sown them.
There are some weeds which are espe-
cially fond of wheat fields, and which
do not flourish well until after the
wheat is cut. The ragweed is one of
these, which in rich ground starts up
after harvest with a vigorous growth
and soon completely overshadows the
young clover which may have a good
set. Eor few weeks this weed may
be protection, but it soon becomes a
thief, and should be removed when it
| mas SbdTGeu lHUO vigorous RrOWun anu
when its pollen begins to fly. This can
best be done by mower set so high
that it will catch the weed and not be
choked by the stubble. The weeds thus
cut will not seed, and will act as a
mulch for the clover without breaking
it down, or pressing it close to the
ground Clover at this time of year
is benefited by little shading from
the hot sun. The cut weed furnishes
this and will also helpkeep the ground
moist. Run your mower over your rag
weed and it will pay for the labor.
which is not great. One prime rule
may be given in regard to all weeds;
if possible cut them before they seed.
If biennial such as thistles, docks, and
mullens, should get a chance to come
the first year, cut them out when
small the first summer. When weeds
grow valuable vegetables, grapes and
grains can be raised, and this is the
farmers business. Don't allow any
part of your farm to be worse than
wastsd.-Cor. Farm News.
How to Cure Hams