The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-06-26
Agricultural Department
CONDUCTED BY FULTON s. WHITE

milk weed an annual but persistent
grower, and one of the most diiIicult TO
get rid Of / find 1t has almost taken pos
session in many sections. 1t does no good
to cut wild lettuce off above the ground
This only causes it to start out and make
a more stocky and thrifty growth Inc
only way Is to cut off the main root under
the surface below all buds or leaves
This plant like many others takes vast
amount of plant food and moisture from
the soil This is one of the worst plants
that small fruit growers have to contend
with as strawberry and other small fruit
farms is where it seems to delight IN
growing. 1t very much resembles the tame
lettuce especially the Cox varieties
If farmers would only go for 1t while
young they could get rid OF II by the
use of a wedding hoe, but 1t only requires
few days of favorable weather for 1t TO
become too stout for light hoe.
Chess Commonly Called Cheat.
This totally worthless weed or rather
grass closely resembles oats, and its IA
vorite places for growing are the wheat
and other grain fields of the United
States However, If 1t is not allowed to
grow in the grain fields, it will accommo-
date itself to any old place in all va
cant places on the farm, IN gullies, on
the rocks, or If crowded entirely out of
the fields 1t will grow along the wayside.
1t is not so choice of soils, either as 1t
will grow on the very poorest of soils or
on the very richest, so far as its feeding
value Is concerned. 1t is entirely worth
less as stock will not eat either the green
plant or dry grain. | believe stock would
starve before they would touch it. This
plant is an annual and like oats or other
grain, has shallow spreading roots so
that 1t is easily pulled up. 1t should never
be allowed to mature seed This is the
only way to get clear of it-pull it out or
pillow it up before 1t goes to seed
There is much speculation and differ
ence of opinion as to how chess Is pro-
duced all of which is very interesting but
we cannot notice this feature of 1t at
this time.
Dock Perennial.
There are a number of varieties of the
dock, but It is what we commonly call
sourdock that give us most trouble I'm our
meadows, and this season 1t is unusually
bad in many sections of the country, and
many fine meadows are entirely ruined,
it having choked out the grass entirely.
When sourdock once gets a strong footing
in meadow the best thing Is to pillow the
whole thing up and cultivate the land
in some crops that require the hand hoe
for several years, such crops as potatoes,
tobacco, cotton or garden crops.
Where there are only few scattering
for the burdock, and the best time to do
this is just as they begin to bloom.
Wild White Daisy Annual.
This is another very bad weed In mead
ows, where it seems to prefer grow
ing. Like the chess II is shallow rooted
and easily pulled up. The only way to get
clear Of It is to prevent Its maturing seed.
Like the dock, If 1t gets once a good
start in a meadow the best thing is to
ct1ffx 70 foxxy In
crops when the meadow may be sown
again to grasses.
Plantation Perennial.
This plant gives more trouble in yard
lawns than elsewhere. and is very difficult
to get rid Of 1t often completely takes
the yard, killing out all grasses. When
the yard becomes so foul with this pest
better to spade 1t up and start anew.
After every sprig Of plantation has been
destroyed, scattering punches may be cut
out like the dock
Wild Union or Garlick Perennial.
In many sections this Is giving much
trouble 1t grows in wheat fields and also
in other fields of grain. Milers of late
are making complaint about this being
brought to the mills In the wheat. This
plant seeds both at bottom and top. The
small bulbs will Withstand in the ground
any kind of weather or hard winters. This
is one of the most difficult pests Of all
to get clear of The best plan is to get
the land seeded with crops for some years
that will smother 1t out Stock peas or
velvet beans grown in a deep, dense mass
on the land for several years might
smother them out 1t is almost impossible
to get rid of them by cultivation, and
stock will not eat them, so 1t is a bad
plant to deal with. Then for one farmer
to try alone to get clear of them Is slow
work. Never let them seed
Sweet Glover Biennial.
Here is another valuable plant that Of
ten becomes a troublesome weed. or
termed as such. However, do not think
1t fair to place the melolotus in the list
of poisonous, worthless weeds. for even
If 1t has Gas claimed) but little value as
food plant for stock Yet it is unlike
the others named in that it is not soil
robber. Melolotus will grow only on
black lime lands, or lands that contain
lime, and is more commonly found on
soils where shell or disntergrating rotten
limestone rock is found | have followed
this plant clear across the United States
from north to south, as well as from east
to west There is this spring very luxi-
rant growth of Ii in many sections, where
il not only grows in the fields but along
the waysides. The value of this plant for
pasture and hay has never been estab-
lshed by farmers, there being various ex-
lime lands of Alabama and North Miss
issippi where 1t is extensively grown,
for both pasture and hay, is the only
SECTIONS that / have found any claims
made for 1t for these purposes until last
week while travelling in Central Illinois,
where 1t is growing all along every road
side l visited a farmers who is growing
sheep and he said 1t was fine for pasture
for sheep. He Is herding his sheep on 1t
along the highways, and he says 1t Keeps
them fat. But here no effort has been
made to make hay of It. There are sew
eral varieties of the sweet clover or
melolotus, the white blooming (Melolotus
M. Alba) is considered best for stock
Now. as we stated this plant is not a
soil robber, but on the contrary it is
a soil renovator or enrlcher. 1t Is
legume the same as all other varieties
of the clover family. 1t sends its roots
down deep into the soil and acts as
subsoiler and the decay of the roots en-
| riches the soil, so while 1t may be trouble
| some and persist in growing where not
wanted 1t is is giving something in
return for its trouble.
NV opinion is that we are just begin
ming TO know something of the value of
meiolotus and in few years, no doubt,
we will regard 1t as one of our most
| valuable legumes. It's strong habits of
! orovth should recommend it. My opin-
| lon &c that IL is destined to become the
! foreruner on many soils for alfalfa, as
| II will inocuated the soil, furnish the
| necessary bacteria upon which the young
/ alfalfa plants may feed. 1t being
stronger grower and more apt to grow
| would recommend that