The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-05-15
FIELD & GARDEN
ERADICATION OF FARM WEEDS


wire making. In the Springtime of
1906, spraying experiments with sui
plate or iron were begun by the Ameri-
can Steel Wire Co. at it's Weed Elk
pertinent Station, conducted by DR.. H.
e. Horton, Agronomist, Mukwonago,
Wisconsin. Substations for weed
eradication work have been operated
in Johannesburg, N. Y, Newark, Del,
and Sanford Manitoba. In Manitoba
the problem is to spray 1000 acre
tract of wheat for weed eradication
and to do this in a weeks time. This
substation is equipped with two small
two-horse machines and one large four
horse machine, the largest ever built
and operated for grain spraying. A
big tank, holding 10 barrels of sui
phate of iron solution and two water
wagons, complete the equipment.
Canada Thistles.
A sixteen acre oat field was selected
for the work, for the reason that the
field was badly infested with Canada
thistles. It has grown crops OF oats
for the past three years, and has been
sprayed each year with the result that
today the land is almost clean and
the thistles controlled. In the mean
time the yield of oats has been increas-
ed from ten bushels per acre to thirty
bushels per acre.
An adjoining field at this same Sta
ton was seeded to crimson clover,
using a seed which proved to be badly
contaminated with Canada thistle seed.
The clover crop was nOthlng-the
thistle crop, the finest ever grown. A
systematic spraying of this field the
first year controlled the thistles, pre-
venting the formation of seed and kill
ing innumerable plants roots and
stock.
During the second year a fine crop
of barley was grown. The number OF
thistle plants coming up was fully
900 less than the first year. The
field was again sprayed and the
thistles almost cleaned off. This con-
cluded the experiments for two years.
The season of 1909 will make the third
year and, in all probability, will show
a complete eradication of the thistles.
Wild Mustard.
In the past two years Wild Radish
has presumably been mistaken for
Wild Mustard, and this by profess
sional men. Wild Mustard is easily
killed by 2O% solution of sulphate
of iron once applied, while Wild Rad
ish is more resistent and for it's eradi-
cation requires an entirely different
procedure.
Leaves of Wild Radish are Tyre
shaped and sometimes bear one deep
cut from margin to mid-rib. Flowers
of Wild Mustard are yellow color.
Beak of Wild Radish pod round and
shape of a cone Beak of Wild Mus
tard pod f1attened cone shape and
often contains one seed.
Dandeions.
AS the result of three years sue
cessful work, the following facts will
prove of great interest to every owner
of blue grass lawn:
Young dandelion plants are killed
by spraying with 209o solution of
sulphate of iron. Old plants are badly
injured, the foliage being wholly de-
stroyed, but the growing bud is not
killed and the old root sends up new
foliage. Applying dry sulphate Of iron
to the heart Growing bud) of the
old plant produces death. Repeated
spraying of middle-aged and old plants
results in their death.
To destroy young dandelion plants
by spraying, dissolve two pounds OF
sulphate of iron in a gallon of water,
stirring with a stick to hasten solu-
ton, and apply with hand sprayer.
Use one gallon solution to one square
rod grass plot. If the first applica-
ton is not completely successful, spray
a second time. Repeated spraying
will be rewarded by the eradication
of the plant. The grass and clover
will be blackened and appear killed,
but this need cause no alarm; they
are not MORALLY injured and in few
days recover and grow with increased
vigor.
Directions.
nj 20 In cnraUinQ