The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-08-04
A New Weed and a Bad One.

The Maine experiment station has
sent out bulletin calling attention to
new weed known as q King Devil
weed, and says it has found It's way
into the moving fields of Maine. 1t is
a native of Europe, and was first de-
tected in the United States in northern
New York in 1879. Since then it has
spread, giving good deal of trouble
In 1895 few plants were found in
West Gardiner and reported to the JOS
selyn Botanical Society. Since that
time it has spread rapidly and is found
in many fields in Farmingdsle, Gar
diner and West Gardiner. Mr.. II. X.
Morrell has called attention to this
weed through the local press, but as
the weed is spreading rapidly and is
equally as bad as its near relative, the
Orange Hawkweed, all the farmers of
the state should be on guard against it.
Professor Harvey, the station botanist,
visited Gardiner and vicinity June 20
and 30 and found the plant thoroughly
established in many moving fields.
The plant was probably introduced with
grass seed from New York. During
the last year it has found its way into
fields that have not been plowed for
ten years. The plant grows in patches
mating the ground and killing all
other vegetation. Its rank growth and
rapid spreading show that it lourishes
in Maine climate and soil.
The Orange Hawkweed has been in
the vicinity of Gardiner for twenty
years, but during that time has not
spread as much as the King Devil weed
has in two years.
1t is very much like the Orange
Hawkweed in general appearance and
from the description and figure in the
station report for 1892 or bulletin 80,
there will be but little trouble in recog-
izing this weed. The King Devil weed
is from eighteen inches to three feet
high. The hairy leaves are mostly
clustered at the root, although few
leaves are borne on the lower part of
the stalk. The summit of the stalk
bears cluster of yellow flowers, with
occasionally second cluster lower
down on the stem. The yellow is that
Of buttercups, making it hard to detect
in field where buttercups are numer-
GUS and in bloom. Its yellow flowers
and larger size readily enable one to
distinguish it from the Orange Hawk
weed, which it otherwise resembles.
Like the Orange Hawkweed, its roots
live from year to year. 1t spreads by
runners both above and under the
ground, thus extending the patches.
1t flowers early and abundantlY. The
seeds are provided with hairlike appen-
dages by which the wind scatters them.
If cut when in bloom or before, the
plants sends up secondary flower shoots
that mature before fall. 1t is very
difficult weed to control and should no,
e allowed to seed or spread.
The patches should be moved before
haying and before the flower is open
80 as to prevent seeding, and again
later to prevent second seeding. The
plants should be raked up as soon az
cut and burned when dry. The suresl
way to destroy the plants is to plow the
patches and cultivate frequently anG
clearly during one or two years, either
with or without hoed crop. In the
case Of small patches, similar to some
of those observed in Farmingdale, il
would be sufficient to dig out the plants
and thus save further trouble.-Mirrol
and Farmer.