The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-06-29
KEEPING DOWN WEEDS.
This Is a Problem Which the Farmer
Meets in All Sections of the
Country.

The problem OF how to keep down
weeds is one which the farmer meets
In all sections of the country. In west
central Illinois in the low lands in
wet seasons this Is a serious PROPOSE
ton in the corn fields, and the weeds
seem more prevalent in the stubble
| land left over from the year before
unless It has been plowed immediate
~ after the wheat crop has been
taken off. On the ideal farm there
would be no weeds, either along the
roads, in the cultivated fields, or in
the pastures, and with u little care
and the proper ate ntion at the right
| time this condition OF things is not at
all impossible.
On the upland, the problem is a good
deal more simple than in the bottoms.
| yet II Is not impossible on the low
lands. We American people are too
much inclined to go after great things
and On an expansive idea rather than
improve our lands and practice inten-
sive cultivation instead of extensive
cultivation. In this section of the
country, continues the correspondent,
in writing to the Farmers Review,
red clever and cow peas grow to
perfection end some few expert
ments have been made with alfalfa
which we believe will be a success
here. We have followed n plan in the
last four years OF sowing our corn
ground In COW peas on the last p!ow-
ing ~ the corn, and instead OF weeds
we have had a fairly good crop OF
peas. which have added to the fertility
Of the soil more than enough to pay
the expense OF the seed and the SOW
ing oI the peas, and we could see no
evil eject on the yield of the corn crop
from the fact of the peas being snwn
in the corn. The corn did not seem
to ripen any sooner nor did It fire on
the lower blades any worse on account
Of The peas. The first frost partially
destroyed the pea vines and they were
not 80 hard to plow under as crop
Of weeds would have been.
In the pasture and woodlands we
have kept / flock of AngOra goats.
which are sure death to all forms OF
weeds and sprout2. Cookie burrs ami
jmpsOn weeds, morning glory and
rag weed are as much deiCaCy to
them as the first mess OF lettuce or q
dish nj strawberries Is IN the inhivid-
ual We have heard II said, and have
seen II writtC2 many times, that in q
pasture which would just keep given
number Of sneep there could be placed
an equal number of goats and ali
would thrive We think this Is true
from what experience we have had
Sheep or goats may be turned on the
cornfielC after the corn is a foot or Is
inches high and kept there until the
corn IS hard enough to feed without
injury to the corn and they are OF
great service In the lowlands and prai-
RE In this way.
The most difficult proposition IS in
keeping the weeds down in our timo-
thy FIELDS, hit we believe this can be
helped by pasturing with goats and
sheep late in the fall and early in the
spring. The milk weed Is about the
hardest to eradicate from the meadow,
ana as timothy Is n very profitable
crop. Il is Of considerable importance
that 1t be kept free from weeds.
We have seen very little good from
the state law governing the destruc.
ton of obnoxious weeds and in por-
lions OF our country have seen Can
ada thistles thriving in the pasture
and fields and their seed blowing out
over the country as though they were
the main crop and something to be
desired. These laws are like all 9TH
ers; good law not enforced becomes
IN ercumbrance to our statutes and
does no good.