The Red Cloud chief., 1896-05-29
THE A r AND HOME.
A WORD OF WARNING TO WEST
ERIN FARMERS.
Root Out the wseds-Grcen Manuring-A
Cheap leo Housc-Charcoal for
Animais-Farm notes and
Home Hints.
Too Many weedsi

Too Many weedsl
Prof. Thomas Shaw Of the Ontario
agricultural college, after "a journey
extending through Ohio, Illinois, Iowa
and Minnesota, writes a letter to the
breeders Gazette in which. after ex-
pressing his wonder ut the marvellous
evidences of rapid progress which met
him at every step, he adds The follow.
ing words of friendly criticism:
But the progress in agricultural de-
velopment although marvellous in
some respects has not kept pace with
the progress in other directions. There
Is a canoe gnawing at its vitals and
living On its life blood. | refer to the
universal prevalence of weed life
which has far more than kept pace
with the march Of American progress
Weed life has apparently so borne
down upon the Western farmer with
it's legions that he is already in many
instances so completely conquered
that in despair he has given up the
fight. He is not only ready to say
that after all weeds do not injure the
crop to any great extent, but he has
come to that most hopeless of con-
illusions In agriculture, viz that they
cannot be exterminatcd.
Nor will it suffice to answer that
the extraordinary development of
weed life is owing to the extraordin-
airy fertility of soil, for natural capa-
bilities of the soil are incapable of sus-
tanning weed life in its most offensive
forms i'm the face of frst-class farm
ing. Shame on that farming which
concludes that weeds can not be over
come, or that it will not pay the
farmer to overcome them. That
philosophy should hang its head in IA
shady place that teaches that after all
our noXious weeds do not work much
harm. At the risk of being called en-.
thusiast and crank and alarnist. ] can
not refrain from exclaiining that | am
glad that | am yet alive to lift up my
voice against the amazing Indifference
Of the farmers of so great Il continent
in reference to- the prevalence OF weed
life.
IT need not he SO. The continent
could be practically cleared OF the
more offensive forms of weed life in q
A'N oil'll NNliS IL but iltIS "tTt
determined that it should be so, and
this great dclivcrancc could be brought
about without the loss of u single
crop. 1t is greatly comforting to
know that amid thousands Of varie.
ties of weeds that infcst this CONT
nent not more probably than n score
are able to stand up against what may
DO termed good farming. In other
words, not more probably than score
Of these require specific modes of
cultivation for their eradication.
OF all the forms of weed life in the
West which are troublesome and great
ly aggressive ragwecd is the worst
] would unhesitatinSly crown ragwecd
king among the aborninable weed pests
that harass the Western farmer. Far
be 1t from me to say II word that
would lead your farmers to look upon
the invasion Of the Canada thistle with
indifference, but l am free to say at
the same time that | regard ragweed
rs q far worse foe to fight than the
Canada thistle. The Canada thistle
can be completely eradicatcd in two
years and without the loss of one pay
5 ing crop. This cannot be said of rag
weed when it has once got Il firm foot
hold.
! 1t is not the purpose OF this paper to
give the modes of obliterating the
. more noXious forms Of weed life, To
do that would be to write a volume.
4 My object is to sound the alarm in
the hope of drawing attention to the
. question. But IL may accomplish
something to refer to two or three
things, which, il but generally prac-
ticed, will accomplish much in rcduc'
ing weed life. Thousands and tens OF
r thousands of sheep may be given the
opportunity to turn them into mutton
{ to feed the epicure in Eastern cities.
d The mower may run over the pastures
e at least once a year, and over the
d newly sown meadows. The scythe
can do its work in fence corners and
d Sy-places. Autumn cultivation car
t bury the unripe weeds in million.
Is after harvest. The corr may be KEEP
n clean instead of half clean, and tho
J. agricultural colleges by tho force o
prccept and example can Undue
r the young men who attend them with
n An undving hate in regard to all tn