Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-07-19
Large and Dangerous Patches
Of the Weed Growing In
side City Limits
FARMERS ARE COMPLAINING
Say Acres of the Pest Are Going to
Seed in South MarshaIItown in the
Denmead Pasture and Near the An
son School Buildins-statute Pro-
vides for Heavy Penalty.

Farmers south and east of the city
| appear to be considerably aroused over
what they consider grave danger thar
Canada thistles and other weed pests,
alleged by them to be flourishing With
in the city limits, will spread and be-
come nuisance on their farms. A. u.
Summers, who assumes to speak for
such other farmers as j. M. and Ellis
Bailey Messrs. Chinn. Fuller and Has
kins, A. E. Mitchem and others, says
that acres of Canada thistles are now
! fourishing on what is known as the
Denmead pasture, used for grazing
purposes by Neiderhauser's dairy ana
on the Iowa Central right of way, and
land south of the Arson school, owned
Mr.. Summers states, by the Arson es-
tate.
Other and smaller patches of the
pest exist according to Mr.. Summers
report, but the ones mentioned are the
principal sources of present danger.
On one of these, according to the same
authority, an acre may be found so
thoroughly seeded that "a man can
scarcely put his hand down without
touching a thistle
These thistle patches, Mr.. Summers
states, are now in bloom and will soon,
if not already, be in condition to scat
ter their seeds over contiguous farm
lands wherever the wind may list to
carry them A sample plant brought
to this office this morning by Mr.
Summers is crowded with blossoms
This plant was taken from the Iowa
Central right of way, where men today
are at work destroying them.
Mr. Denmead says the thistles exist
on his land, but that they are given at
tention annually and efforts made to
eradicate them and prevent them
spreading. He said that he had been in
formed by his tenant that they are not
yet in condition to be dangerous and
said they would receive attention be-
fore they reached that stage. Mr.. Me-
sderhauser said over the telephone that
the weeds would be attended to- out
that it is too early to cut them and
get the best results.
Under the Iowa statute it is made tho
duty of road supervisors when notified
in writing that Canada, or other this
ties are growing on nonresident or va
cant lands. to destroy them at the cost
of the owner. to be taxed against the
land Code Section 1924 applying gem
orally. says: IF any person, or corr
poration, after having been notified in
writing of the presence of Canada
thistles, or any lands owned or occu-
pied by such person or corporation; or
if any road supervisor, after having
been notified in writing of the presence
of any such thistles on the road under
his jurisdiction, shall permit such
thistles or any part thereof to blossom
or mature, such person, corporation or
road supervisor shall be guilty Of a
misdemeanor and shall be punished by
a fine not exceeding 500 or imprison-
ment in the county Jail not more than
thirty days.
The simplest way and the one least
likely to cause trouble and expense
would be for farmers and land owners
afflicted with the pest to get together
in a campaign against weeds that are
a loss to one and a danger to the 9th
er, and to interest city officials In their
aid The Canada thistle is no new
thing as communication received
from an unknown correspondent, says
that Cat one time there was patch
of Canada thistles growing on the pub
lie square of the city near where the
Salvation Army holds IT, evening meet
ings People who lived here thirty
years ago, many of them will recollect
it, Ed Chaplin, in the Marshall County
Times, frequently uttered warning
that at some time there might be bill
of damage against the city. 1t was
thought then that the seed was brought
here in material goods were packed in.
1t may not have spread from that and
yet it is possible that the same agency
that brought the seeds there, brought 1T
where it exists now"
Mr.. Neiderhauser called at the T.-R.
office and stated that in his opinion
the thistles could do no harm for at
least three weeks. They had been on
the place for twenty years and had
always been cut down before the seed
rnatured He thinks it practically inn
possible to stamp them out from the
fact that the location borders a creek
and floods carry and deposit seeds
there. His custom has been to cut |
them between August 1 and 10. If
moved previous to this time they re-