Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1898-10-15
The Dodders of Clover and Al
falfa.

garding the dodders which attack clover
aud alfalfa. These dodders are strange
plants with slender yellow or orange
eolored stems which entwine about 9TH
az plants and draw their nourishment
from them. No less than five different
kinds are known to attack clover and
alfalfa. Another sort is found on the
willow, and still another confines itself
10 the plants that grow along the sea
shore. Still others attack the fax, the
nettle and other plants.
All the dodders are annual plants and
all are parasites; that is, they live upon
other plants, from which they draw
their nourishment by means Of minute
sucker-like organs, which penetrate tito
the tissues OF the host plant. In late
summer and fall the dodders produce
clusters OF minute white flowers, whose
structure reveals the fact that the dod-
ders are close relatives OF the morning
glory. Indeed, they might be called de-
generate morning glorys, which on &C
count OF their parasitic habit have had
their leaver reduced to mere scales and
have also lost their green color. Later
the dodder produces immense small
black seeds, and it is by sowing these
along with the clover or alfalfa seeds
that most fields become infested.
When the dodder seed terminates it
produces a slender leafless stalk, which
il it comes in contact with a clover of al
falfa stem twines about it, soon produc-
ing the minute suckers which penetrate
into the host plant. As the dodder plant
grows it produces branches which spread
out and reach new stems, which in turn
they entwine. Usually the clover or
alfalfa is quickly killed by the dodder,
which is continually spreading in all
directions and attacking new plants. On
this account doddcr-infested spot com
monty presents the appearance of cir
cular area Of dead clover of alfalfa, with
the dodder growing on the margins OF
the circle. This keeps up until the severe
irOsts come.
In some cases it happens that whole
fields of clover and alfalfa are destroyed
by dodder, but no such severe cases have
been reported in this state.
HOW TO GIT RID OF DoDDER.
CRAZING.-In case whole field is
badly infested with the dodder, probably
the best method is to keep it closely
grazed down with sheep for one whole
season.
CULTIVATION.-If the sheep are not
available the land can be planted for one
or two seasons with some crop that can
he cultivated, such as roots or corn. !
Clean cultivation is necessary if the land |
is again to be sown to clover or alfalfa,
as few dodder-infested clover plants in
the field would again start the pest.
BURNING.-W Where the dodder occurs
only in spots, probably the best method
is to burn out such spots. This is cas-
lest done by spraying the spots with
kerosene and then touching a match to
it. This will kill the dodder without
injuring the clover roots. Straw will
not answer, as it does not burn close to
the uround. Chips soaked in kerosene
will do, but spraying the kerosene on
the plants is cheaper, especially if done
with knapsack sPrayer.
WING.--If the infested spots are
moved down close to the ground several
times in the season, the dodder can usu-
ally be eradicated. 1t is safer to remove
the dodder after moving it, as in moist
weather it remains alive and growing
several days after the clover is cut.
Close moving is necessary to insure sue
cess by this method, which one of my
correspondents reports completely sue
cessful
A number OF other methods have been
advanced, but need not be mentioned
here. If the spots are quite small, the
old, old method OF hoeing them out is
one that is always successful.
1t need scarcely be mentioned that in
sowing clover or Alfalfa, clean seed
should be used Seed from q dodder-
infested field is always dangerous. The
experiment station will be glad to ex-
anime any samples OF alfalfa or clover
seed sent there, and will report whether
or not dodder seed is mixed in it.
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