Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-10-03
WAR ON WEEDS.
State Board Of Agriculture Working in
Connection With Women's Clubs.

Connection With Women's Clubs.
Governor S. b. Packard, of this city.
ss a member Of the state board OF
agriculture, and chairman of q special
committee on stamping out noxious
weeds from the lands of the state, has
addressed letter to different prom
inent club women Of the state, asking
their cooperation in the work.
The civic improvement and forestry
committee Of the Iowa Federation Of
Womens clubs, of which Mrs. j. G..
Hutchinson, Of OttumWa, is chairman,
has taken up the matter and is send
ing out the Packard letter to all the
members of the committee. The widest
publicity possible is sought in 81 gen.
eral effort to weed out the weeds"
The letter of the committee of the state
board. as addressed to the club Wom
en-, follows:
ITO the Public: The state board Of
agriculture at it's last meeting, passed
the following resolution
Whereas, The alarming increase Of
noxious weeds in the state makes it
proper for the state board of agri-
culture to make an investigation with
the view of ascertaining the best way
to remedy these evils and to suggest
the county supervisors or township
trustees, or both, the authority of the
law to eradicate these tests.
Resolved, That the committee on
adulteration of foods, seeds and
other products are instructed to inves-
tigate the subject and to report from
time to time; that the sum of $500, or
as much thereof as may be necessary
is hereby appropriated for expenses
for the year 1907.
"The undersigned committee, in view
of the law passed regulating the sale
of agricultural seeds, and prohibiting
their adulteration, desire to bring to
the notice of the farmers of the state
the Importance Of this investigation.
to the end that all noXious weeds al
ready existing shall be brought to the
attention Of the authorities and by
systematic effort shall be eventually
eradicated, that we may put an end
to the contamination of Iowa grown
agricultural seeds with foul weed
seeds.
with the aid of the staff of the ag-
TlCulIuIdl COllSS0S anu lAlO AiSAp u eAAO
farmers, county supervisors, town
ship trustees and road supervisors the
committee expects to locate all the
patches Of noxious weeds, whether in
public or private grounds. such weeds
as Canada thistle, Russian thistle,
quack grass, wild mustard and wild
oats. Also, to determine the extent
of the infection Of the less refractory
but not less mischievous weeds in the
public roads and highways, such as
sweet clover, squirrel-tailed grass,
curled and smooth dock. bracted plan
tain, buckhorn, common mustard, al
falfa, field dodder, and other well
known noxious or difficult weeds.
"The committee will have the SER
vices of Professor Pammell and his
assistants to aid in the study of the
best methods for the determination of
each particular weed of annual, bien-
NAL or perennial growth and to rec
ommend to the general assembly such
revision of the weed laws as will eff
fectually require the county or town
ship authorities to inaugurate a cru
SADIE against all noxious weeds.
'"The committee invites all the far
mers' Institutes, officers Of county and
district agricultural societies, and
that most potent of all reformatory
organizations, the Women's clubs to
lend their services to the awakening
Of the public to the demands of the
fair and fertile soil Of Iowa, to make
an end to it's infection with vicious
weed and the resultant seed dissemi-
nation in the public highways, rail-
way grounds, in private lots and pub
lie places.
"The committee will supply question
sheets to be filled out and returned
The information thus secured from
farmers and others interested and in
formed in regard to the weeds in
their respective localities will be in
valuable to the committee and appre-
ciated accordingly by them
Respectfully,
as. B. PACKARD, Marshalltown, Ia.
&C. F. CURTISS, Ames, Ia.
II K. WRIGHT, Des Moines, Ia.
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