Middletown transcript., 1907-04-20
FARM NOTES

II the labor annually bestowed in th'
endeavor to eradicate weeds could be ap
applied at the proper times not only
would the nuisance be removed but tht
labor lessened. In the case of weeds the
the slightest amount of labor saved in
emitting to kill them when it should be
done entails greater labor at other times.
Nor is all labor on weeds lost. During
the eradication or destruction of weeds
the regular crops may be cultivated and
the land put in better condition. One of
the greatest mistakes is in not destroying
the weeds when they first appear 1t viii
require less labor to destroy hundred
weeds when they are young than to kill
a single plant after it has made consider
able growth to say nothing of the fact
every weed that reaches maturity and pro-
duoes seed leaves greater work to be done
afterward. Although farmers are busi-
est in epring, and cannot afford to devote
time to weeds when the corn is to be put
in, yet by properly preparing the land
for the intended crop they gain time,
For year or two the farmer may find it
difficult work combating weeds, but the
time so devoted will be regained fourfold
in after years. Weeds can best be destroy
ed when rotation is used, and the ground
should be plowed for corn early enough
In the spring to allow OF the sprouting of
weed seed. This sprouting of the weed
seeds is the most important part of the
process, and the farmer should be willing
to perform any amount of labor if he can
sprout them at a time when they will
not interfere with growing crop.
A field may be proftab'y cultivated
with out any crop at all in order to clean
it thoroughly Of weeds. 1t will be loss
of crop and labor, but gain in the end.
Plow it in the latter part of the season,
run the cultivator over it every time it
becomes covered with young weeds and
then follow with the harrow. In the
spring, when the field is well covered
with weeds, plow it again before the weed
can make growth, and keep the cultivator
and harrow moving over it the whole
year. The next spring put it in corn, and
still keep up the cultivation. When the
corn is off plow it in the fall, and SOW to
oats the following year, Such treatment
will effectually kill out the weeds and
save labor afterward. All the seeds used
for crops should be thoroughly examined
and cleaned, even if, in some cases, GER
tain kinds must be picked. The manure
should be rotted in order to destroy the
weeds, but this cannot be done under all
circumstances. By handling the manure
once and sprinkling every portion with
mixture OF one pound of sulphuric acid
to five gallons of water, the manure will
be reduced to finer condition and many
weed seeds destroyed. If the manure is
spread on the soil early in the season and
worked in with cultiyator near the sur
facethe seeds remaining will be induced to
sprout, and the young plants destroyed
with little labor. The rule for the destruc-
tion, therefore is ''sprout the seed in the
ground and kill the young plants just as
they appear out of the SOIL" By SO doing
they can never make sufficient headway
to multiply, and if prevented from repro
ducing themselves must necessarily dis
appear if the farmer does not introduce
new seeds to cause him additional labor.
Once prevent weeds from seeding and the
manure will be free from the seeds.
Weeds are expensive because they not
only rob the growing crops of plant food
but also deprive them of moisture. The
rapid-growing weeds crowd the other
plants and deprive them of warmth, light
and all other essentials for growth. One
advantage in the usurpation of the land
by weeds is that they provide excellent
green natural crops, but the farmer can
better afford to grow something else as
green maserial than to permit a single
weed to go to seed. The vast amount of
labor bestowed upon weeds every year
may be valued at many millions of dol
lars and yet much Of this labor could be
avoided if the weeds were killed when
young. 1t is the postpunement Of weed
killing that allows many of them to pro-
duce seeds, as their rapid growth. often
gives them occupancy of the land before
the farmer is aware of the fact, their cradle
alton then requiring days instead OF hours.
A crop OF potatoes, onions, ,cabbages, beets
or any other that requires clean cultiva-
tion with the cultivator, harrow and hoe
will greatly assist in eradicting weeds,
while green manurial crops that are plow-
ed under destroy them. Hungarian grass
is crop that makes vigorous growth; and
it may be moved several times during
the year, thus rendering excellent service
in destroying weeds, but in the garden
the hoe will be found the most, efficient
Employment that can be employed.
In Denmark the dairymen have succe-
eded in making every animal pay profits.
This was done by thirty or more owners
OF dairies employing an official tester to
report upon the results from individual
COWS. After carefully watching and weigh
ing the milk for given time the inspector
reported on the individuals in each herd.
The result was that poor COWS went to
the meat market and the producing value
OF tue dairy cows increased in one year
from Sl3 to $50 each. Such results came
from system of working everything for
prof. That is the spirit that controls in
successful agriculture