Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-07-20
ISSUES A WARNING.
Prof. 6oiley Of the Agricultural Col
Iege Issues a Warning Against Bad

Prof. BolIey Of the Agricultural Col
Iege Issues a Warning Against Bad
1 Grasses. 49, s&t e., .a
Agricultural College, N. D., July 10.
Ito The Forum: This is haying and,
weed killing time on the farm. The
makers should not allow bad seedy
weeds to get into the hay, especially
that hay which is to be fed on the
farm. Weed seeds which fall into the
strawy barnyard manures do not de-
cay unless the manure is we'll COM
posted. They thus get thrown back
upon the fields. ...E
Most of our worst weeds are not
natives, and some Of them belong to
the grass family. A weed is any plant
which Is out of it's proper place on
the farm so it is wise to watch some
of them which are now being brought
into the state, for though in grass
form and in small patches they may
appear quite harmless, a few of them
have always caused the farmer much
labor.
Grasses may reproduce annually
from seed which falls to the ground
like wild oats (avena fatua) or may
grow from year to year from jointed
underground stems as in case bromus'
inermis, spreading also by way of
scattered seeds.
There are two very bad weeds
among the grasses which in them
selves appear to be fine grasses so
that the farmer may at first be in
clined to let them spread for hay or
forage. l wish at this time, especially
to call farmers attention to the grass
called "quack grass and to the one
called ''cheat" or "chess." Both must
be persistently fought or else farm.
ing will become very difficult in their
presence. Only cultivated crops can
be grown where "quack" is abundant.
And wheat will be in for heavy dock
age when "cheat" or "chess" is in it. |
There is no tanning mill which will
entirely remove 'fchess" from seed
grain. "Quack" grass looks very
much like slender wheat grass but the |
leaves are broader and Of darker |
green. 1t grows from jointed under
ground stems and from the seed. The |
only way to get "quack' grass out of !
the land is to smother it by piling on |
straw or other similar matter, or by |
such thorough cultivation that all of |
the underground stems are removed.
The Cheat or "chess" has only
lately been introduced into the state.
1t grows only one year from the seed
but produces quantities of very heavy
seeds which ripen early and shell out
upon the ground after the manner of
wild oats. "Cheat" is a member of
the genus bromus, called bromus Sc
calinus. In very many cases seeds
men have sold it to farmers as bromus
inermis. Last year many hundreds of
acres were seeded to this worthless
grass, a veritable weed pest, and it
has produced so much seed that the |
farmers in turn have innocently sold |
hundreds Of pounds to neighbors.
receive many such letters as this:
Dear Sir: I enclose two samples |
of bronze grass which l raised from
seed procured from a farmer near
Wimbledon. Is there any difference
between them? Which is the best?
My field is mostly like No. 2.''
Now, No. was "cheat" or "chess."
1t makes worthless hay but is a weed
Of renown in wheat countries. That
which grew this year will all winter
kill next winter but the scattered
seeds will come up as bad weeds in
wheat fields for years. Pull it, burn
1t. Watch your bronze grass carefully.
1t is foolish to SOW any sort of seed
which has other seed in it anyhow.
Don't do it. "Cheat" has pale grass
green head, heavy with short, plump.
blunt-pointed seeds, covered with
heavy coarse glume or scale The
seeds are nearly the shape of a grain
OF rye. Bromus inermis has light
weight, chaffy, purplish colored heads
and the seeds are so scale-like as to
almost seem too light weight to grow
we'll. Don't buy Cheat" or "chess."
Look at the grass seed before you
SOW it. What is the use Of having
eyes and mind, if you are determin-
ed to let the other fellow edo you
every time he sees you or sells you
seed. H. L. Bolley, Botanist.