Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-06-18
RECORD CROPS
IN WISCONSIN
THIS HARVEST
EXPERTS DECLARE HAY ALONE
WILL SURPASS ALL PREVIOUS
MARKS
ALFALFA WILL ASTONISH.
Prof Moore of University Discovers
That Hemp Planting Drives Out
Canada Ihistlcs.
JOHN M. TRUE ON CONDITIONS

MADISON, Wis, June j.-LSpecial.l
Wisconsin will harvest this year one
Of the greatest hay crops ever grown in
the state.
This is the opinion of ]. NJ. True, sec
Rotary Of the state board of agriculture
and Of II. 4. Moore, professor Of agron-
omy at the state university. Both men
claim that the crops of the state at the
present time are in splendid condition.
More corn and barley will be grown in
the state than il several years past and
the yield of alfalfa will be astonishing
A the university farm the first crop of
alfalfa has already been cut, averaging a
ton and One-half to the acre Three
more harvests from the same field are
expected this year. Unlike other CROPS
alfalfa IS not destructive to the land, as
the growth gets its life largely from the
air.
'As a rIIe the crop conditions in the
state are good" said Prof. Moore. AL
though the crops were planted late the
conditions are now almost ideal. The
recent rains have assured a luxuriant
hay crop, one that will be far above the
average. The corn crop is all planted
and IS up. In some sections of the state
IT has been cultivated for the first time
The Oat crop is fair md 50 far there
have been no indications of any Of the
insect enemies or any evidence Of rust.
The barley crop throughout the state is
fine and there will be an increased Weld
of this and also of corn.
Find Hemp Drives Out ThistIes.
'The university is planning to make
some additional experiments on killing
of weeds this year. Mr.. Stone. my as,
sistant, will conduct the experiments re-
garding the killing Of mustard and also
OF Canada thistle. Last year we tried a
rather novel plan on a farm. where
many Canada thistles grew at Waupun.
1--WE planted hemp mainly 10 find out
if the crop could be grown well in Wis
cOnsin. 1T was not only evident that 4
could be grown. but that the growth had
been SO luxurious that it had practically
killed the Canada thistleS. Hemp grows
to height OF seven and eight feet, and
it is so dense that it shuts out all sun
light to the ground and naturally kills
all kinds of weeds that grow with the
ordinary crop. At Waupun it was found
that where hemp had been grown in a
field plastered with Canada thistles that
none could be found where the hemp had
been grown. Whether one crop of hemp
grown on Canada thistle ground will kill
all of the plants is scarcely possible, but
IL may he a means of Kidding lands of
the plant"
True Says Outlook Is Good
think the outlook for crops in Wis
consin is good" said Secretary j. M.
True. Surely the crops in Dane county,
which ! have seen lately, show up fine.
The reports show that nothing can pre-
vent Wisconsin having a bumper hay
crop and | think the outlook for oats,
corn and barley is also good. The grass
has been growing fast the last few
weeks and within two weeks the farmers
will be harvesting the hay crop The
early hauo hoOor, 70 ell
good and tie corn crop is being cult
waited in some sections Of the state. I'm
der present circumstances Wisconsin can
look for good crops"