Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-03-09

FIG. xvII-A RUSSIAN THISTLE
fact that makes them so difficult to
combat is their great seed producing
capacity. 1t is not difficult to kill one
formal plant, but no sooner Is that
done than another springs up to take
it's place.
Early fall plowing gets rid of many
Of these weeds by turning them under
before the seed is ripe. Some OF the
seed which is ripe will grow up, and
1.-The plants will be killed by the first
freezes Of winter. II the field is har-
trowed early in the spring many OF the
remaining seed can be induced to start.
The more weeds that come up at this
time the better, since they will be kill
ed in the subsequent preparation OF the
land for planting.
There is no better implement for kill
ing weeds before corn comes up than
the harrow. Narrowing is a cheap
operation, since so many acres can
be gone over in a day. The more times
cornfield can be gone over with the
harrow before the corn comes up the
better. In narrowing to kill weeds care
should be taken not to do the work
when the weather is cloudy or the
ground too wet, or the weeds Will be
transplanted rather than killed.
In regard to the value Of narrowing
growing corn opinions differ greatly.
It is almost impossible, however, to
harrow corn without destroying some
Of it. 1t is a waste Of time to test
the seed and planter with the idea OF
getting a good stand and then harrow
part of it out. Unless the weeds are
very bad the harrow had better be put
away in the machine shed as soon as
the corn begins to appear above the
surface of the ground.
Thorough cultivation from the time
| the corn is two or three inches high
until it is ready to 'lay by" will do
much to keep the weeds in check. The
deep, early civilizations will bring up
the seeds that have been lying dor
mant at the bottom Of the furrow
slice. These will germinate and be
killed by the later civilizations. Fox
tail may grow up and go to seed after
the crop gets too large to cultivate.
1t is often a good plan to sow rape In
corn at the last cultivation. This Will
come UP quickly and shade the ground
so completely that it will prevent the
growth of annual weeds almost en-
| tirely.
Annual weeds seldom do much dam
age in small grain. If the grain Is
drilled in on a properly prepared seed
bed it will get such start that most
of the weeds will be smothered out
and die for lack of plant food and
light. One annual that is sometimes
| troublesome in grainfields is mustard.
Since this weed is easily killed by cul-
tivation it seldom goes to seed in corn
fields. Consequently when small grain
| follows corn there is little mustard
seed in the soil except that which is
sown with the oats.
There is another annual, or rather
winter annual, that is much harder to
| eradicate lIldIl liloSc illehlioiiSu So ioi'
This is squirreltail grass, so called be-
cause of its fuzzy heads. The seeds
are very light and are attached to
long boards, which cause them to be
carried for considerable distances by
| the wind.
Squirreltail grass is not troublesome
in cultivated fields, but often infests
meadows and pastures to such an ex-
tent as to make them almost worth
less. Moving as soon as the heads ap-
pear will not kill the plant, but If kept
up throughout the season will prevent
it from producing seed. In bad cases
about the only remedy Is to plow up
| the field and put 1t in to some culti-
| waited crop. Where a regular rotation
which includes the meadows and pas
lures is followed this weed can be read
| lily kept in check. A point that must
| be carefully attended to in preventing
the spread of this as we'll as of any
| other weed is to keep the roadsides
and fence corners from raising weed
seen enough each year to keep the en-
tire farm seeded
Another troublesome annual in some
sections of the country is the Russian
| thistle, a form of tumbleweed. BY roll
] ing across the fields after 1t ripens 1t