East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-08-01
Pendleton. Ore, July 81.

.
Editor of East Oregonian:
Sir-The attention of the writer
has been called to two plants that
threaten to become troublesome to
farmers in the northern portion of
Umatilla county. If you can permit
the space, the following suggestions
may be of interest
one of these is the Lactuca pulchel-
/ la, the generic name being derived
| from the Latan Lac, milk, because of
| the milk-like juice eXuded from the
/ stem 1t was first described by De
| Candolle, French botanist 1t is the
! Mulgedium pulchellum, Of Nuttall, the
| English naturalist. who made scien-
/ tific explorations in western United
States about IS years ago. 1t is
species of lettuce very closely related
/ to the Lactuca scariola. L.. commonly
called Chinese lettuce" and perhaps,
/ like it, containing in diminutive guam
/ titles, an opium-like drug.
/ The l.. pulchella receives from A.
| Gray the common name False Let
| tuce," or blue Lettuce; who says 1t
/ extends from New Mexico and Cali
| fornia to British Columbia. Piper,
! formerly professor of botany in the
Agricultural college, Pullman, WASH,
| finds it abundant on the banks of the
| Snake river and a troublesome weed
/ in some sections
The other plant Is the Convolvulus
arvensis of Linaeus, enormously call
ed Wild Morning Glory. According
to Piper, "A troublesome weed, but as
yet sparingly introduced. 1t takes its
name, from convolvers to twine and
arvenis belonging to the fields.
( Hence the common name given by
| Gray-Field Bind weed. When once
established in community it is prop
agated rapidly by underground stems
or running roots which are remark
able for their tenacity to life.
The roots of both these plants are
perennial, that is live from year to
year Ii is therefore futile merely to
prevent the seed from maturing
since the roots rapidly produce new
shoots and any effort at cultivation
by which the roots are broken up,
serves only to enlarge the area COW
cred by the weed. 1t is probable,
d. therefore, that the only effective
method OF combating the evil is to
starve the roots by frequent destrnc-
ton of the foliage.
The function of the leaf in the plant
world is respiration and the manufac-
ture of certain essential plant foods as
starch and certain proted substances.
If therefore. plant is persstently
deprived of those parts exposed to air
and sunlight the remainder will die
for lack of nourishment These plants
being alike i'm methods of propagation
the same treatment will suffice for
both.
a successful treatment of the bind
weed is reported from California
where it was killed in one season by
repeatedly hoeing the land. During
a part of the season the infected area
was worked over every day. If dur
ing the summer either of these weeds
can be kept from showing green
shoots until the cold weather pre-
vents growth, and the ground be care
fully scanned the following spring for
any perceptible growth, the weed may
be overcome in one season. Where
the area covered is too large for this
! treatment, a weed cutter may be ar
ranged by attaching an old cross-cut
| saw, well sharpened, to cultivator
so that IL may pass very close to. or
just beneath the surface of the ground.
However, it must be remembered that
it is the frequent application of the
| hA
The Lactuca is successfully COM
batted in some places by thorough
cultivation of the ground with a tall
crop like corn. This is impracticable
here.
Undesirable plants may be smoth-
cred where they are confined to small
areas by building straw stacks upon
them or by covering thoroughly with
sawdust. In some instances sheep
have proved efficient agents in the
eradication of such weeds If the area
is kept thoroughly salted.
The department of agriculture of
the United States suggests the appli-
cation of salt, coal oil or strong acid,
either crude sulphuric or carbolic to
roots just after the ground has been
cultivated. These coming in contact
with the wounded roots destroy them
for some distance from the point of
contact. To secure the best results
from this method, a frequent cultiva-
tion of the ground is necessary that
the chemicals may have new points of
contact. Otherwise the active prin-
ciple becomes exhausted before the
extremities of the roots are reached.
Yours very respectfully
w. II. BLEAKNEY.
Principal Pendleton Academy, PEN
dleton, Oregon.