The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-04-13
FIGS From THISTLES.
Great Value of the Russian Weed
In the West.
PEST THAT HAS BECOME A BOON


Been Found valuable For Feeding
Stock and Also For Use as Fuel--A
stock Raiser's Opinion.
The Nebraska agricultural depart
ment is in receipt of some interesting
data relating to the use Of the Russian
thistle in Nebraska as food for all lines
of stock and as fuel for heating pur-
poses. Thousands of tons of this ex
traordinary plant are consumed annu-
ally in Nebraska for those purposes
According to the information the de-
partment has secured, the Russian this
tie, which few years ago was consid-
cred dangerous menace to the agricul-
tural interests Of the entire Missouri
valley, has proved to be one Of the best
grazing plants known to this section.
For the last two years farmers organ
izations have been experimenting with
the plant, but the progress of the ex-
periments have not been fully reported
until now, when there is no longer any
doubt as to the utility of the weed.
Five years ago the Russian thistle
first made its appearance in South Da-
kota, and scientists declared that the
agricultural prosperity Of the whole
country was threatened by the weed.
The stock range was soon 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 extraordinary vitality
Of the plant was evidenced by vast beds
of thistles appearing in spots so barren
as to refuse to yield other forms of veg
citation. The rapidity with which the
growth overspread the whole country
between the Missouri river and the
mountains caused many students of ag-
riculture and stock raising to declare
that this vast domain would again re-
vert to the wild things Of the prairie.
The department Of agriculture at
Washington sent out men to investigate
the situation, and many government
bulletins were issued on this, 1.-THE great
est of evils to agriculture. A quota
tion from the agricultural department
report of 1898 reads, "There is no doubt
that the plant will spread throughout
the whole great plains and still farther
east, destroying large portion of the
wheat producing region of the United
States.
In spite of this prediction of awful
calamity from the highest sources of
agricultural information, this same
Russian thistle is filling a long felt
want in northwestern Nebraska. The
thistle in dry state very much resem-
bles alfalfa, and the experience Of farm
ers and stockmen is that it is more
sought by stock than is any other wild
hay. As fuel, the thistle is not to be de-
spised. Two bales of thistles are de-
clared to equal a cord of wood in point
Of heat, and four bales equal ton Of
coal. The cost of the weed is nothing,
as it can be secured by tons in any draw
on the prairie, where it has been tum-
bled by the winds. The manner in
which the weed is used as fuel is novel,
but successful
A vessel Of heavy sheet iron, formed
like the old fashioned wash boiler, is
used for the two eyed cooking stove. The
thistle is thrown into this and tramped |
down as hard as possible. Then the YES
sci is inverted over the stove in which
it is to be consumed. The absence of air |
in the vessel prevents the flames from
extending too rapidly in that direction,
and the fuel drops gradually into the
body Of the stove as the fire burns it's |
way into the mass. A vessel full of the |
weed will heat a large room for several
hours to very comfortable tempera-
ture.
Louis. P. Cummins Is one of the lar
gest farmers and stock raisers in Nebras-
ka. His ranch and farm are near Rush
vile, Neb He is president of the grange
of his district. In speech before the
few days ago he said:
my first use Of the thistle was last
winter, when I fed it alike to horses
and cattle Though at first little shy,
they soon learned to eat it with avidity
l found that cattle Of all ages, includ-
ing the young calf just beginning to eat
hay, will eat the thistle and grow fat
VA bho "COu' buAAhB bno piSbSuI WiuJcl |
my horses and cattle have fed mainly
on thistles gathered from my own place,
which started as fodder early in the |
fall The stock even fed to advantage
on thistles as they stood in the field,
but believe that much of the nutri-
tious element of the weed is lost by |
leaving it in the weather When in
February the stock could no longer feed |
on the thistles in the field because of |
the weather, began foddering them
from thistles which had cut and stack |
ed in the open on Aug 81, 1897 1t is
proper to note that this date is rather
late for harvesting thistles for fodder,
as the weed becomes old at that time,
and the thorns become brittle enough to |
stick severely. During the present win
ter / have fed thistles to large number
of young stock Of all kinds, and find
them the equal of anything l can pur-
chase The stock seems to find some
thing especially appetizing about the
thistle and lick the very chaff from the
ground As healthful, milk producing
feed, / believe the thistle has no superb
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