News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-07-23
Warning TO Farmers.


George Aitken, President OF the
Vermont Agricultural Association
and manager of the celebrated Fred
Billings" farm at Woodstock-prob-
ably the best conducted farm in YER
mont-writes to the Vermont Stand
ard at Woodstock with reference to
the dangers of the orange haWk-weed
or what is perhaps better known as
the DEVILS Paint Brush, which seems
destined to work immense injury to
our Northern Vermont farms unless
it's growth is checked. He recon-
mends 800 pounds of salt per acre,
although other good authorities say
that 400 pounds is better.
When salt can be bought for $4 90
per ton that is The price that Cover
nor Page sells it for at bis Hyde House,
it seems foolish to allow this terrible
pest to get a foothOld in Llmoille
County.
Mr.. Aiken might have added that
the State Experiment station says
that the salt more than pays for
itself in the increase in yield OF hav,
where it is used on meadows. He
says
81 have lately received DUmerousin
Quiries relating to the spread, and
the best means of graduating, the
dangerous weed known as the orange
hawk-weed or paint brush, and take
this method Of answering them.
"About ten years ago canvas OF
the State showed that the QuaCk-
grass was considered the most dan
gerous weed of Vermont, but to-day
the hawk, eed is by far the most
serious. It is q native of the Alpine
regions Of Europe and was intro
duced into the Eastern States as d
garden plant early last century, and
while it is recognized as a pest in
Eastern Canada, Maine, New York
and Northern Pennsylvania it seems
to have found in Vermont its most
congenial habitat, and is rapidly
taking possession Of our hill pastures.
In common with most other weeds it
succumbs readily to thorough Guilt
walton, but on our hill pastures
where cultivation is impossible, when
once esta blished, it spreads rapidly
and eventually kills tall the grass.
Its first appearance in Woodstock
was noticed about nine years ago
and true to it's nature it appeared
first on the highest points in the
vicinity, but seems to be adapting
itself to lower attitudes and is now
to be found in patches all over the
town. 1t is easily recOgDiz d by its
orange red blossoms about the size
of silver quarter, and is in bloom
from June u November. 1T has been
estimated that q single plant will
produce in one season about twelve
hundred seeds, and that is only one
of its modes Of propagation, az it
spreads rapidly by means Of root
stocks or underground stems, and
also by runners sent out from the
base of the plant after the manner OF
strawberry plants. IL Is utterly
worthless as a forage plant and
should be xtermiuated wherever
found; the most effectual method is
OF course to dig it up, but when that
is not practical iJ may be killed
by the use of salt
"The Sttte Experiment Station
recommends 300 pounds of salt per
acre, this amount of salt will not usu-
ally damage the grass, but on some
SO Is will ben tit it. When using salt
care must be taken TO put it on when
the sun is hot and the plant perfectly
dry, as the salt operates by absorb
ing the moisture from the plant.
Failures reported in the Use OF salt
were caused either by not using
enough or 10 putting il on when the
plants we're wet.
cit is to be hoped that the farmers
of Woodstock will be on the lookout
for this weed and destroy it before t
gets such toothOld as it has in
Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille and
Chittenden counties, where it has
practically ruined many pastures.