Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-06-04
FIVE CENTS.
ENEMIES OF Al f ALFA. I

"A Campaign Against Pocket Gopheras
and Crab Grass. II
The tRo enemies of alfalfa after it is
once established are the pocket gopher 4
and crab grass. The pocket gopher
digs its runs three to four inches under
the surface, cutting off the roots WhicE
happen to lie in its path; but worst of 81
all, it throws mp a chain of mounds
along the run, which render moving
very difficult. If unmolested, this pest
will carry on its depredations to such
an extent that the field will have to be
plowed up. They also feed on the al &
falfa roots. 81
No preventive has been found. Trap
ping may be employed against them,
but it is tedious and generally unsatis-
factory. Poisoning is perhaps the cas-
lest and most satisfactory method OF
destroying the gopher, and it properly
done they may be almost entirely ex-
terminated. TO poison them. as soon
as fresh mound is seen get some po-8
tatoes and cut them as they are usual
ly cut for seed. A bottle of crystallized
strychnine. which may be obtained by
any adult at a drug store at 80 cents
per bottle, should be at hand. Then
with pocketknife or old case knife
slit the pieces and drop a crystal of
strychnine not larger than a wheat
grain in the slit SO it will lodge near
/ the middle of the potato. The potafo
being moist, the stryehnine will soon
be dissolved and carried all through it,
4 and it should be used as soon as poi
soned. Take spade and a wagon rod
and the potatoes and proceed at once TO
the gopher patch With the rod
poke into the ground around the fresh
| hill until the run is located and open
with the spade. Drop in a potato, Gov
er up and proceed to the next hill.
dose usually kills the gopher. If too
much strychnine is used or the pota-
toes are not used as soon as prepared,
the poison is not so effective. IF the
field is gone over once week, the old
hills leveled down and the new ones
given a potato, the gophers' work wiz
soon be very much lessened. Now and
then one will be too smart for the po-
tate and will keep at work. Try to
trap him. ..ss
For crab grass in the spring, just be-
fore the alfalfa gets started, take a
disk, set it nearly straight and thor
oughly disk the field, going both ways.
and leave it in good shape to put In
oats. This loosens up the ground.
splits the old crowns, thereby thicken-
ing the stand and giving the alfalfa
new life, SO that it grows in spite OF
crab grass. .-
Many successful alfalfa raisers disk
the alfalfa fields every two years
whether the crab grass bothers or not
and consider it very beneficial. Alfalfa
should never be put in a field that is
foul with crab grass. First clean the
field by growing small grain or sum-
mer following and then use the disk
after it appears in the field. Care must
be exercised in using the disk if the
, field is young, but at any time it viii
: stand more of such treatment than
would be supposedly. G. Haney, Kan
sas Station.
Canker, Dead Spot, Black Spot, Etc.
Apple tree anthracnose is the name
which Professor Cordley Of Oregon has
selected as appropriate for a trouble
that is locally known as "canker,"
dead spot' or ''black spot" in the ap-
| i,,1n or1c of 1,a Don oc4