Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-05-30
AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN.
Interesting Letters from Hancock
County Farmers.

Interesting Letters from Hancock
County Farmers.
Bulletin No. 2, of the State board of agri-
culture for season of 1900 contains the
following interesting letters from Han
cock county farmers:
DEER IsLE-The most pestiferons weed
here Is the yellow rattle. commonly caied
rattle grass. 1t was introduced by fisyeer-
men VINO filed their sea beds with .<nsT
containing the seeds. In the fall the beds
were emptied Oh the ground in several
localities, and the next year the weed APP
peared, but being insignificant In APP
pearance and no one knowing its
nature, 1t was allowed to spread, until
I he seeds had been carried from one end
OF the town to the other in hay carried
from place to place. The orange hawk
weed is getting in in some places, having
been introduced as a garden flower, but
Is not SO generally found. Barn yard
grass has been here but few years, and
is not considered dangerous as 1t can be
easily killed. Tue yellow rattle
RESTS every effort to exterminate II,
for IL the ground is broken up and seeded
as soon as laid down again the weed
creeps in. / have counted thirty-eight
pods on one stalk and as many as sixteen
seeds to pod. We have ali varieties of
weeds, but most OF them can be Kept IN
der control by the "eternal vigiiancen
system. Can sheep live on an island
where there Is no water without suffer-
Ing? That they will lire, was proved by
the fact that sheep were seen on an
island in Penobscot bay last year during
the drought. Some proposed to find out
the owners and make complaint, but we're
met with he argument that sheep get all
needed moisture from the dew on the
grass as they feed at night. would like
to know more about it, in the interests OF
mercy. X. 8. WARREN.
lNoTE.-sheep will suffer from lack Of water
sooner than any other animal They appear to
get an abundance of 1t. however, from the dew
on the grasses in summer. Some OF our most
successful shepherds and most humane men
depend entirely on this source for water for
their sheep In summer. Some of the islands
have abundant springs upon them.-Secretary.
BLUEHILL-Some Of our most trouble
some weeds are Roman NORWOOD and
charlock. Another which is getting quite
prevalent Is orange hawkweed. l do not
know as there could be any law enacted
that would help the farmers.
A. n. Osaoop.
AURoRA--The weed that troubles us the
most is garlic or wild mustard. 1t costs
the farmers one-third to one half more to
raise their crops on account OF it. IL IL
all over this section of the State, and Is
being continually shipped into the State
tIou thc W tst III WIS OtHtT EFhlUS.
A. +. MACE.
BRooKsVILLE- Roman NORWOOD and
sorrel are the worst weeds we I'VE to con.
tend with here. j notice that the wild
carrot is gaining on some. OF the farms.
All the means we have for destroying
weeds are the cultivator, hand hoe and
our hands. We pull them up, cart them
of and burn them. l.. &. ROBERTS.
SEDGwIcK-Our soil is clay loan and
our weeds the common ones. / know of
no new ones. think a weed law would
be good thing, but 1t would be hard to
enforce it. A. II. DoRIFY.
ORLAND-The only weed worth MOTTO
Ing in this town is the orange hawkweed
About twenty years ago a patch of this
weed was noticed growing by the road
side on Oriand ridge. Many travellers
stopped and picked samples to carry home
on account OF it, beauts From this be-
ginning II has spread for mites around.
Or and ridge IL completely covered with
it lts growth ia 20 abundant that ii
seems az II the quaitlY OF hay must ueces-
sariiJ be mucn degraded. 1t has reached
the village and IL slowly ard surely H.
ing our fields. No one seems to realize
the trouble which this enemy, so silently
aud surely spreading over our lands, is
going to cause ~. A. n. DRESSER.