Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-14
Professor Pammell of the State
College Has Prepared Bull
letin on the Subject
HOW TO KILL 1T IN THE FIELDS
It is Very Difficult to Eradicate and
Spreads Rapidly If Left Unmolested
HAS Some Value a. a Forage
Plant and Is Good Soil FILLER
News Of the State.
to Times-Republican

Special to Times Republican.
Ames, July IA dispatch from
Hampton telling about the appearance
Of quack grass in the cornfields In
various localities has called attention
to a subject about which there seems
to be more or less Ignorance. The
grass seems to be little known in Iowa.
although it is very common In the
eastern part of the continent. Pro-
lessor L. H. Pammel Of the State coll
lege here has prepared bulletin on
"Quack and Wheat Grasses" which
gives some interesting information on
the subject:
The quack and wheat grasses Of
Iowa. Eastern North America. and the
Rocky Mountains are important. not
only as weeds, but as forage plants.
One of the most valuable Of these is
the western wheat grass. ranging from
the eastern slopes of the Rockies into
western Iowa. Bsides this species
there are several others more or less
common in the western and north
western portion Of the state. Some Of
these are considered valuable as for
age plants, yet during the past season
many complaints have been made OF
the abundance and weedy nature of
quack grasses in North America. It
seems wise, therefore, to consider the
quack and wheat grasses not only as
weeds, but also from the standpoint Of
their value as forage plants.
Description.
Quack grass Is a perennial, with a
many jointed, creeping rhizome (root-
stock). Culm from eighteen inches to
four feet high, bearing numerous
leaves from five to twelve inches long
and one third to one-half inches wide,
margins rough very smooth beneath,
slightly hirsute above, spikes six to
twelve inches long, erect; spikelets on
opposite sides OF a jointed and chan
nelled rachis, pubescent on the margin,
erect, from four. to eight lowered,
lower or sterile glumes acute or short-s
awned, prominently five to seven
nerved, Towering glunes smooth, pallet
acute or somewhat rounded, smooth
or slightly pubescent
History and Distribution.
Quack grass has long been known
as troublesome weed in Europe and
eastern North America, and has prob
ably been common In the eastern part
of the United States for century.
Quack grass may be recognized by
Its long, running, rootstocks; stems
from one to three feet high, rather
broad, smooth leaves, with numerous
spikelets, from four to eight flowers in
each spikelet Spikes three to ten,
inches long. LEA
A writer in farm paper says:
This grass grows from the roots
as well as from the seed, and as the
roots get start very quickly in wet
weather they should be disturbed only
during dry spell. No matter how
small or short the root may be- it Is
sure to grow If torn loose from the
parent plant and deposited in moist
soil. Plow the field rather shallow.
then harrow 1t thoroughly with a COM
mon lever harrow or spring tooth
toll If one is handy. This will then
leave large share of the roots lying
on the surface, and after few drying
days they can be raked into win irows
and burned If the work does rot
seem to be thorough in the spring, pillow
again and a little deeper than before,
then harrow, rake and burn as before.
Probably a few roots will escape, and
possibly few seeds will yet be in the
soil, so, if 1T can be done, some culti-
waited crop had better be grown in the
field following this treatment, and ell
plants that survive cultivation be de-
stroyed with hoes. This grass is as
hard to destroy as almost anything
that grows, and the only way to do it