The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1896-07-07
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KILLING CANADA THrsTLEs.

Common SauIt Has Proved the Most
Obstructive Chemical.
Of the various chemicals used for
killing Canada thistles, common salt
has proved most satisfactory. If
used alone, it must be applied with a
liberal hand-sufficient to kill all vege-
tation. In connection with stock, how
ever, particularly sheep, less amount
usually q small handful upon each
plant-has been found effective. The
salt kills the plant at the point of
contact, as well as all other plants
which attempt to start at that place,
while the constant trampling of the
ground by the stock so compacts it
that other plants are not apt to start
from the roots. / have seen COM
plants that mulching was not an eff
fective remedy but am inclined to
think the operation could not have
been thoroughly done.
In May, last year, [ had barnyard
manure applied to a patch of thistles
about a rod square, A few days later
an examination showed that a few
plants around the edge, where the
manure was thin, were coming
covering the thistles a foot deep and
extending q foot or more beyond the
patch OH all sides. On the first day
of August the manure was taken
away. The thistles were dead and
decayed, root and top, and none have
since made their appearance at that
place. Another patch of larger ex-
tent was effectually killed in similar
mo hnH hoe
adapted to lawns and meadows. In
places where there is a heavy sod, so
that the tendency to sprout is not
very strong, spudding will usually kill
the thistles in single season, and
oftener in shorter time. The patch
should be gone over as often as once
q week. A large, thickly set patch
is best subdued with the pillow. The
work may be done at any time, but
Is most effective in the season of
most rapid growth. The blowing
should be done as often as the thistles
begin to make their appearance, usual
ly at intervals of from one to three
weeks, according to the vigor of the
thiStleS and the state of the weather
If the. work has been well DONE as
often as necessary, no struggling
thistles being left at any time, the
thistles will probably all be dead be-
fore the end of the summer and the
land left in excellent condition for some
fall crop. Success will depend large
ly on the nature of the soil. | have
seen a patch on heavy destroyed
completely by one blowing and an
occasional cultivation afterward
while another patch on muck requir-
ed unremitting effort during an en-
tire season. Another method, which
is the best of all where only small
scattering patches exist is to pillow the
land in the ordinary way and plant
it to corn. Give extra good cultivation
and cut deeply with the hoe, or bet
ter still, pull with the hand every
plant which the cultivator has missed
The thiStles will come thick and fast
for the first few weeks, but the cult
walton soon weakens them, and as
the corn begins to shade the ground
and extract its moisture, the thistles
cease coming, and long before the end
of the season, if the work is well
done, they will all be dead.-A. A.
Croier, Michigan Agricultural Eperi-
ment Station.