The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-08-11
AGRICULTURAL.
The Quack Grass Bogy.

There is no doubt but that this pest
is every year increasing, and that in
hoed crops it is one of the worst weeds
we have to deal with. We have heard
awful stories of the destruction caused
by this weed. They say it will grow
through potatoes, through boards even,
and that the only way to keep it in
check is to bury it, and keep putting
dirt on it as it comes up. Cutting it
off does no good 30 they say. 1t would
almost make a mans hair stand on end
to hear the dreadful things which
quack or witch grass will do. We have
seen fields this summer where potatoes
were planted in land 80 full of this
grass that the owners got disheartened
and abandoned part of the field to
the grass. The roots seem to fill the
soil, and friend who used to live in
England tells us that there they some
times wash the roots clean and feed
them to cattle. Or they would pile
them up in heaps and let them rot, and
and they would make very rich fer
tilizer. The same man told us that his
neighbors found they could get more
weight of hay from an acre of quack
than of Timothy, and that they did not
care to destroy it on this account. But
all of the stories of experience with
this grass are not bad. 1t can be killed
or at least kept well in check in hoed
crops and in grain it is not troublesome.
Winter rye and similar crops will keep
it in check, and the cultivator will take
care of it in corn and potatoes if used
early and often.
Since writing the notes on quack
grass we have found in the last Rural
Ne,o- Yorker the following clear direc-
tions for eradicating the pest. DIR.
Beale is one of the best grass autbori-
ties in the country:
DR.. w. j. Beal, Michigan.-As near
ly as can estimate the number, have
completely eradicated at least seventy
twenty-five years, many of them small I,
but some OF them ten rods or more in
length. do not pillow deep, but shall
low; do not extend the work over a
whole season by summer following; l
do not wait for dry time, but prefer
wet, growing weather for quickest re-
suits; spend no time narrowing or
raking out the rootstocks; l put no
stress on freezing out the plants. This
plan have found best: Plow very late
in autumn, or, just as well, very early
in spring, and cultivate with an instru-
ment that cuts the ground all over like
a number of small, sharp shovel-plows
working together. Cultivate every
three days, rain or shine, wet or dry,
from early spring, till about June 10 for
central Michigan. If the weather be
wet, and otherwise very favorable for
the growth of the grass, it may need
working little oftener. The leaves
must not be allowed to appear above
ground.
Weather good for grasses will induce
Quack to push rapidly, and this push
ing for new stems or leaves above
ground is an exhausting process till
green blades appear; then it is gaining
instead of losing. If plowed under
deep, especially in heavy soil, and es-
pecially in dry weather, the rootstocks
often lie dormant for too long a period.
By the middle of June, the land will be
ready and in fine filth for crop of
some kind. Quack grass thrives with
child's play. Quack grass likes moth
ing better than the hap-hazard, faint
hearted farmer. 1t takes time to kill
it. Will you be thorough and work in
diligently, or will you nurse the job
along tor years, scattering it broadcast
with the harrow, and after time, al
low it a roothold in every rod of soil on
the farm?
Commenting on this the editor says:
con page SOP, DR.. w. j. Beal gives
an interesting account of his method of
killing Quack grass. Our experience
with tough sod this year convinces us
that he is right in saying that deep
blowing will often preserve weeds in
stead of destroying them. Il is true
that these weeds may not make much
of showing in well-cultivated corn
crop which is usually grown on such
sod, but they are almost sure to appear
in the succeeding potato crop. We
have often heard farmers wonder why
potatoes are 80 grassy when grown
after well-cultivated corn crop. The
pillow turned that grass under and kept
it out of sight, but did not kill it. The
thick corn kept it down, but when the
potato vines became too large for cult
walton, up came the grass through them
tc c vcc,."y the land, The use rs o.; Qua
way instead Ct plow on that sod would
give more grass to kill in the corn, but
Uould drive IL out so that it may be
killed! In some cases, that is just
what the pillow does not dol"
There is good deal of food for
thought in these extracts. Remember
that you can bury weeds too deep. They
may not show for year, but they are
waiting for good chance to grow. If
you are troubled with quack, try this
method of getting rid of it, and then tell
us about your success.
Beware OF Ointments for Catarrh That