Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-19
ACRES or DAISIES.
One Farmer Planted ""Grass Seed. -
Flowers Overwheim Him.

| A field Of daisies, millions upon ntl2ss'
lions Of them-daisies that ,caf1no1f ~
exterminated and which are growing
thicker and thicker each year-this h J
the property of Jacob Basey, who's
farm lies five miles southeast nf Kan-
sas City. The daisies came to I'M
farm by accident and they rcfuse n
leave. He has spent money IN an e.
| fort to kill them, but they ciinsss
| tenaciously to the soil and now he hass
| abandoned it to them.
| Basey is well-to-do farmer h
owns 100 acres of land in the vicinity n 4
| his home. and the Marlborough car
line passes through his holdings. H
has fields and timbered land ana
meadows with herds grazing upon
them. Blue grass is ankle deep on his
grazing land and wild flowers grow In
abundance. About eight years arc
the grass on a thirty" he owned. In a
| valley by a little stream, seemed thin
and sparse. Bare spots showed on the
/ ground.
| 81 must sow some seed down there"
I he said; land bring up more grass"
T. He placed an order with a firm in
|. the East for seed. 1t came and when
I the season was right, he sowed it over
| the thirty-acrc tract And then he
waited. The bare spots began snow
ing sprouts. They crept from the
ground and expanded into curious
looking weeds. They grew into stems
with leaves on one side. None re-
sembled the sprout Of the grass blade
AS the summer advanced the stems
grew into blossom-Iittle white%, HOS
SONS with yellow centers The
OF the field was hidden by the whit1
the blossoms. 1t was just one gr(3
waving mass of 1owers-daisies. IT,
firm which had received the order Il
grass seed. either sent the pure ~
of the daisies or. grass seed In WIZ
the flower seed predominated.
l Basey moved the daisies aloWEt.
grew up again. He tufs n,
oW into u cornfield. The da1slee. tiItx
grew the corn. He set boys to- VT
pulling them up by the roots. O. IT,
millions and millions Of flowers wKlcRs
grew the work Of the boys made MI
impression. - ~. ss 4. M
A year or two ago the public VIZ!
invited to the farm to help itself TO-
daisies. Hundreds and HUNDREDS 4
jumped at the chance. .,sfa
Pull them up by the roots. break
them off. chop them down--do Iny-ss
thing you like" the instructions wers
And so the visitors went home with
hands. arms and baskets ful-buggy
loads. Houses were decorated
churches Observation-Disclosures were
planted on graves in thecsdneteries and
in the flower beds about the homes In
Kansas City. But still the daisies
multiplied. And now, not only have
they covered the whole of the thirty
acres. but they have crept across into
neishbOring fields and threaten to
overrun them. Mr.. Rasey has given
up the fight. The land is, leased N to
Ralph Keck of 1416 Charlotte street
Mr.. Keck has invited the public TO the
daisy farm. charging ten cents for the \
privilege of going in and picking all,
the daisies that can be carried away
be it e. handful Or Wagon sloaS VA
"Thc daisies were ready to- suit
about Decoration day,'s Mr.. Keck IA
short time ago. 81 plased Iiftie Ad-*
vertsement in the Star and betweea
fifty and hundred persons have bcsl
coming here week days. and from ~
to 200 every Sunday. They have carsz
ried away millions Of daisies but theN
number seems scarcely Diminished.
All over Kansas City I have seen them
transplanted. But on the sides OF
these hills, in the holIows and over the
higher ground, we have daisies that
will be here for years. The only way
to get rid of them is to pull them up
bodily by the roots, and II would take r.
an army to accompiishe the task. ny. 4
Bascy plowed them up time an9
again, but it had no effect whateves2
The land is simply swamped with ~
beautiful crop we can not exterm
nate. The grass grows around them
just the same, but it's not as luxurl.
Gus as it would be without them