The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-07-13
Destruction OF Weeds.

According to bulletin issued Dy
the department of agriculture interest
is being shown at number Of agri-
cultural experiment stations in the
possibility of weed destruction by
means of chemicals. 1t is said that
as long ago as 1895 it was found at
the Vermont station that the orange
hawkseed, serious pest In pastures
and meadows. could be destroyed
without injury to the grass by sowing
salt over the land at the rate of 5000
pounds to the acre. Many experiments
have since been conducted at the
same station with other chemicals for
the eradication of weeds in walks,
drives, etc. Among the chemicals
tested were salt. copper sulphate. ker-
osene, liver of sulphur. carbolic acid,
arsenic and salsoda. arseniate of soda
and two commercial weed killers. the
active principle of which apparently
was arsenic. The weeds which is was
sought to destroy were plaintains,
dandelion, chicory. ragweed. knotweed
and various grasses. All the chemi-
Gals were applied in solution except
the salt. As in the case of the hawk
weed experiments. salt was found eff
ficient in destroying all the weeds
when applied dry and in large guam
tity.
When salt is used for this purpose
adjacent lawns should be protected
against washing. or they may be in
iured. Crude carbolic acid. one pint
in four pints of water. applied at the
rate of eight gallons per square rod,
was very efficient. The various ARISEN.
ical preparations proved valuable as
weed destroyers, and choice between
them was largely a matter Of expense.
"All things considered" writes the
author Of the bulletin, "the arsenate OF
soda and the carbolic acid solutions
proved the most valuable chemicals
for weed destruction under the condi-
tions of these experiments.
A series of experiments in weed
destruction In fields of growing grain
has been carried on at the North Da-
kota and other stations. as well as at
many places abroad. Several years
ago, in France. it was accidentally
found that a solution of blue vitriol
destroyed charlock. or wild mustard
plants. Acting upon this, experiments
have been conducted in France. Ger
many and England, where charlock Is
one of the worst weeds In grain fields,
meadows and pastures. The method
employed is to spray the crop with
solutions Of blue vitriol while the
weeds are young and not too well pro.
tected. While the results obtained
are in some respects conflicting, the
best results have been secured when
a two percent solution is sprayed oveI
the field at the rate of from 40 to 60
gallons per acre. The spraying should
be done on clear. still day, and be
fore the weeds begin to come into
flower. II rain shonld fall within
"a hours or the weeds are too old 9
second spraying will be necessary
| This treatment has been repeatedly
tested without permanent injury tt
wheat, oats. barley and rye. while
such weeds as charlock. shepherds
purse. penny cress. etc.. were almos'
completely destroyed. No injury fol
lowed such treatment upon yount
clover growing in the grain.
At the North Dakota experiment
station 10 percent solution of blu'
vitriol was sprayed over an exception
ally weedy plat of wheat, the priuci
| nile weeds being charlock, wild bar
Icy. wild rose. penny cress, shepherd
purse, wild 5uckwheat. lambs quartz
and great ragweed. The sprayini
was made Jnne when the wheat wa
| three to five inches high. and on Aug
ust 8 all the weeds except the will
rose and TIE older plants Of penn.
| cress were dead. Some of the lea
i tins of the wheat had been slight.
burned. but the yield of grain, it
said. was considerably larger thai
from an equal unsprayed area. o.
lime 20 part OF an oat field contain
ing many weeds was sprayed with
solution of one pound of copper su
phate to four gallons of water. TIL
oats at the time we're about six fnche
high, the weeds Icing about the sam
height.
| An examination of the plants wa
made on August /. and the treate
area was free of all weeds except pie
con grass and Wild rose. The Ga
plants were stallty and well stoole'
while on the untr Gated area the plant
were weak and failed to stool. TIL
crop on the sprayed portion was b
lieyed to be at least one-third NOR
than upon nae ulsprayed area. Til
solution was emIloy's:a a. 10 ,3tt :
40 gallans per acre.