The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-07-07
THE RUSSIAN THISTLE.
New Light Upoa the Curse which May
Become . Blessing.

. Nv" OPVa INV OuEeo w nl0n may
Become . Blessing.
The State Agricultural Department
10 recently In receipt Of some interest
Ing data relating to the use of the
Russian thistle In Nebraska as food
for all kinds Of livestock and as fuel
for heating purposes. Thousands Of
tons of this extraordinary vegetable
plant are now being consumed annual
ly In that State for these purposes.
The Agricultural Department will
shortly issue lengthy report on the
subject, treating it in all its details.
According TO the information the de-
partment has secured, the Russian
thistle, which but 4 few years ago was
considered dangerous menace to the
agricultural interests of the entire
Missouri Valley, has proved to be one
Of the best grazing plants known to
this section. For the past two years
the various farmers organizations
have been experimenting with the
plant. but the progress of the expert
ments has not been fully reported un.
oil now, when there is no longer any
doubt as to the utility of the weed.
For practical purposes. the Russian
thistle is now generally regarded in
Nebraska as more valuable than al
falfa.
The history of this species of plant
life is unique. and to-day there are
Jaws on the statute books of Kansas,
Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska
which offer a premium for the eXter-
mination of the thistle. OF course
these laws are now dead letters. as
The commercial value Of the plant is
we'll established. Five years ago the
Russian thistle first made it's appear
ance in the West throughout South
Dakota. and scientists declared the
agricultural prosperity of the whole
country was threatened by the weed.
The livestock range was shortly alive
With the new growth and the whole
state became a vast seed-bed for the
thistle. There was much genuine
alarm among Stockmen and farmers.
The fall winds carried the seeds to the
four parts of the compass and the ex-
'raordinary vitality of the plant was
evidenced by vast beds of thistles an
pearing in spots so barren as to refuse
to yield other forms of vegetation.
The rapidity with which the growth
over-Spread the whole country be-
tween the Missouri River and the
mountains caused many students of
agriculture and stock raising to de-
clare this vast domain would again re-
vert to the savage and the wild things
Of the prairie They went so far as
10 insist that cattle eating the Russian
thistle would not only perish but per-
maps poison any one eating their flesh.
The Department of agriculture at
Washington sent out its best men to
investigate the situation and many
government bulletins We're issued on
thiS-"the greatest of evils to agricul.
ture." This prolific weed received a
genuine attack from the governmental
Farmers Bulletin No. 10 of 1893. in
which the government experts solemn
~ asserted that in Nebraska, South
Dakota and Iowa 10000 acres Of fine
land had been surrendered to the raw
ages of the weed, and that the damage
Mt that time exceeded five million dol
lars to crops and livestock. As fur
thur evidence of the alarm spread by
the government, take the following
partment Report Of 1893 There Is
nv u'il'i blIut lHt pa VIII spread
throughout the whole ID plains and
still farther east. destroying a large
portion of the wheat-producing region
of the United States"
In spite of this prediction of awful
calamity from the higl est scources of
agricultural information, this same
Russian thistle is filling a long felt
want in northwestern Nebraska. and
If it did not grow in a wild state so
prolifcally. it would undoubtedly be
cultivated by the farmers and stock.
men of the State. BY hundreds who
have used the plant as food for horses
cattle, sheep and hogs it is pronounced
the equal in nutritious way of alfal-
ia. In fact the thistle in a dry state
very much resembles alfalfa. and the
experience of farmers and stockmen
Is that it is more sought by cattle than
any other form of wild hay.
The thistle is easily harvested. the
wind collecting the plant in vast piles
the moment it becomes ripe. the stalk
breaking at the ground and the plant
being rolled like = great ball until
stopped by some draw, ravine or fence
Country Gentleman.