East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-06-10

The successful determination of /
weeds, which has, since time imme-
mortal, been the curse of the far
mers' crops has in recent years been
the subject of serious discussion in
magazine articles and one of the prifru
cipal topics talked about in every
farmers convention, An article from
the Technical World is herewith pro-
duced as practical proof that weeds
can be successfully gotten rid of and
their death made permanent one.
The Technical World for April
says:
How TO kill standing weeds in a
field of grain without injuring the
crop is one of the gravest promlems
that confronts the egriculturist of any
country 1t is impossible to cultivate
them out, and unless the farmer
tramps through his grain field, pull
ing up each weed by head-an i'm
possible task-they must be left to
grow with the grain, drawing in the
moisture, spreading rank leaves for
| the sunlight and extracting nourish-
ment from the soil.
|
ring in the great grain fields of the
United States are the wild mustard,
Canada thistle and rag weed. The
wild mustard, of which there are
over so species, is considered by far
mers the most troublesome.
The grain farmers of the northwest
have a continual battle with wild
| 20 ttrill ~
entire field in two years If not kept
down. 1t is impossible to eradicate
where it has once taken hold. In
some fields where il has not grown
too strong, Minnesota and Dakota
farmers spend 1everal days with all
the children and women obtainable,
ricking the weeds from the fields dur
ing the month of June. 1t is OF no
benefit to turn the ground into mea-
dow or pasture for the seed will lie
dormant for, years and then when the
sod is plowed will come up again as
great pest as ever.
It can now he said with certainty
that such a discovery has been made
The first successful experiments were
made in June. 1906, by the agricul-
tural college of the University of WIS.,
consln. The work has been carried
en- under the direction CT Professor
X. A. Moore.
It should be recalled that the Uni
yersity of Wisconsin has already es
tablished wide reputation for itself
The Babcock milk test, which has
saved more to the farmers of Wiscon'
SIN than the cost OF the whole uni
versity from its foundation to thu
present time, resulted from expert
ments at the Wisconsin agricultural
college. The formaldehyde treatmen
for smut in grain Is also one Of tn
successful discoveries of the same in
= stitution. The discovery of a prac
, tical method cf eradicatlng weed
will be of at least twice the value o
either of these.
The Solution.
I The experiments carried on consls
] in spraying the field with a 10 pc
, cent solution Of iron sulphate. TIL
/ idea Of controlling wild mustard b.
this method was received last yea
at the university experiment station
: The work was based on Information
I. derived from Germany where, expert
= inents had been tried on mustard
), Plans were laid to make tests on til
s. university farm as soon as the will,
e mustard appeared.
G The time for making the test is o
!, extreme Importance. The condition
S CT the weather is factor to be con
sidered. The day must be bright an
sunshiny. There must be no win
and the dew should have evaporated