The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1906-08-21
KEEPING DOWN WEEDS.
This LIS a Problem Which the Farmer
Meets in AL 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 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
ly 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 a little care
and the proper attention 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 IL 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 espondent.
ia 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 a plan in the
last four years of sowing our corn
ground in COW peas on the last plow-
ing Of 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 OF the peas, and we could see no
evil effect on the yield of the corn crop
from the fact of the peas being sown
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 SO hard to plow under as a 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 sprouts. Cookie burrs and
jimpson weeds, morning glory and
rag weed are as much a delicacy to
them as the first mess of lettuce or a
dish of strawberries is to the individ-
ual. We have heard 1t said, and have
seen it written many times, that in
pasture which would just keep a given
number of sheep there could be placed
an equal number of goats and all
4
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, but 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,
and as timothy is a very profitable
crop, It is of considerable Importance
that it be kept free from weeds.
We have seen very little good from
the state law governing the destrue-
ton of obnoxious weeds and in por-
tions of our country have seen Cam
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
an encumbrance to our statutes and
does no good.