The Garland globe. [volume] (Garland, Utah) 1906-191?, 1906-10-20
Beware of
Russian Thistle.
Should Be Ecterminated snow"
This Weed Has Taken Up Its Abode
In Many Parts of Our State.

i MS Weeu has laKen up It's Abode
In Many Parts of Our State.
A very obnoxious plant seems to have
gained q foothold In the soil Of various
parts of this state At the normal school
of the University Of Utah, the classcs in
nature study began this fall with study
Of the various weeds that infest the
fields. tho dooryards. and also the
open spaces Of unreclaimed land.
When the division of pigweeds and
saltwarts was reached, the professor
asked the students to keep n lookout for
a certain weed troublesome In many parts
Of the country, and known I'M the Rus.
sian thistle, or tumbleweGd. The plant
WAS described TO the students. and pres.
emily from various localities specimens Of
q suspicious looking but soft and almost
velvety plant were brought in, which
were pronounced to be the dreaded thistle
or tumbleweed Of the Russion steppes.
The true nature Of this species soon
became manifest. In the course Of two
weeks the plant began to ripen. The
soft, sharp. pointed leaves become stiff
and rigid, and the specimens now bristle
all over with spiny prickles; so that,
while In Its earlier stages Of growth, the
plant can readily be pulled up by the
roots, at the time Of maturity, II can
hardly be seized by the naked hand on
account of It's leaves now stiffened into
veritable spine. This weed Is an illus.
trstion Of An old proverb In new form
destroy the evil in It's iucipicncy and the
task Is ligh: enough; but let 1t fully dc.
vclop. and It's eradication Is difficult or
even impossible.
The situation IL now before the farm.
ers Of Utah and the land owners every.
where. This plant Is attaining 9 foot.
hold In Utah, and 1t should be- relent.
lcssly eradicsted. Prof. Paul, director
OF the nature work at the university ;,
says that the plant has been In Utah only
few years, the first specimen, sppar.
emily, that WAS noticed by anyone here
having been found by Dr.. Orson Howard
curator Of the university museum. about
three years ago. At that time, the doctor
found one of the plants in the vicinity
OF Fort Douglas. Hopes wore then
entertained that the weed would not find
our soil and climate congenial to It's
spread and development. But the result
is otherwise; for today the plant is re.
ported At many places. especially along
the railroad tracks. Principal Mcknight
has observed 1t In southern Utah; Prof.
Paul has found II In Idaho; and students
bring daily to the nature class branches
OF II from various parts Of the east bench
10 this city. The plant appears to be
spreading rapidly, and requires the care.
ful work Of all those who discover It,
to rid the soil of n post that once estab.
lisbed usurps the land and eveh dispos.
sesses the owners Of the soil.
1t was probably iu 1878 that the weed
first appeared in this country. At that
time = colony Of immigrants came over
from southern Russia and located In
South Dakota. They brought with
them small quantity Of tax seed, aud
sowed It Ia the soil Of their new home.
When II came up, 1t was somewhat mixed
with u slender. reddish weed familiar
enough to the peasants, who did not.
however. take the trouble to destroy
these weeds. Perhaps they did not
know that In their old home In Russia,
this weed had long been known ~ one
Of the most noxious Of vegetable pests,
and that extensive areas of land about
the Caspian ses had been abandoned by
farmers because this wved had literally
driven them out. At any rare. ell eyes
were blind to the menace implied in the
appearance Of this vegetable worrior.
and In plants were permitted to 60 to
seed. In a few years Il had extended be.
yond the South Dakota hills and had
reached rhe plains. Here its destructive