The Elbert County tribune., 1906-07-12
WEEDS = THEIR NATURE AND
DESTRUCTION.

A good definition for a weed is a
plant growing out of place. A tomato
plant, for instance. coming up in a
radish bed would be considered a weed
to that crop, as 1t is not the place for
it But more generally the name is
most used when applied to such plants
which seem to persist in growing
where they are not wanted, and are
never cultivated for any useful pur-
pose.
To keep place clear of weeds
means continual warfare. But this
will be useless unless the neigh
bors agree TO put the same amount of
labor on their own places. During a
late visit of the editor to large farm
in the east, this weed question was
brought up. The farm we visited was
carefully and continually cultivated,
but the crop of weeds could not be
conquered There was a reason for
it, and that reason we subsequently
learned was owing to the fact that the
neighbors. wealthy retired gentle
man. with a palace for home, and
spacious lawns and fiower-beds al
lowed his fields to overrun with wild
carrot and other weeds. He did not
care, and the winds carried the seeds
far and wide. A very little money
spent would have kept down these
weeds and made the place all the bet
ter, besides being a God-send to his
neighbor. There should be strong leg
islation against such shiftlessness.
There are two rules which will hold
good in the prevention and destruction
of weeds, which we quote from the
illustrated Annual Register" as fol-
lows:
The first, from the well-known fact
that no plant can first grow without
starting from a seed, indicates the
general caution to destroy all weeds
before they can ripen their seed, and
to SOW for crops nothing but perfectly
clean seed. If weeds have already gone
to seed, they should be carefully re-
moved and burned. Some of the most
pernicious intruders have been widely
spread through hay or grass used for
packing goods-every careful man
will never allow such packing mate
rial to be scattered over his land either
in manure or otherwise. The second
rule is founded on the principle that
no plant can live any considerable
length of time without breathing
through its lungs, the leaves. Hence,
all perennial-rooted plants, that creep
and extend beneath the surface, like
the Canada thistle and milk-weed, and
thus form formidable patches may be
destroyed completely and totally, If the
leaves are never allowed to appear
above ground.
OF the $4,000 different species of
plants which grow upon the face of the
earth, only a few thousands have ever
had an opportunity to grow in culti-
waited fields. OF these few thousands,
a very small number have become dis
tinguished for their vigor of growth
under neglect, for their tenacity of
life, and rapidity of increase These
few have become troublesome weeds
Neglected cultivation and careless
management have tested them thor
oughly for their bad qualities, and
have been the means of selecting them
from their thousands of harmless as
scciates, and introducing them into the
fields of the farmer.
Annual and biennial weeds mostly
increase by seeds, and include wild
mustard, shepherds purse, false fax
or bitter weed, cockle-bur, marigold,
sticktight or Spanish needles, may
weed or hounds tongue, jamestown
weed OF stink weed, lambs quarter,
goose-foot or pig weed, green
amaranth, wild teasel, chess, chear, or
broom grass, and foxtail grass.
The simple perennial weeds are tall
crowfoot or butter-cup, John n's-wort,
plantain, pokeweed, water hemlock.
poison hemlock, ox-eye daisy, mallow,
sour dock, sorrel, garlic. nettle, sweet
flag or calamus and cat-tail flag.