The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-05-18
OUR WE EDS.

Wal!a Wala's weeds it seems arr
gaining a nation wide publicity anC
the overgrown east takes occasion t,
console itself in the knowledge tina
the new west too has it's battle will
ncX.0us grOWths. The Rochester (NeN
Yor-0 Herald in commenting on oul
d&nGelions brings forcibly to mind the
fact that we have on the city ordi-
nance books a law providing that va
cant lot owners shall keep the weeds
close clipped. So far this year not only
dandelions, but sweet clover, thistles
Chinese lettuce and other predatory
vegetation has been left uncut tC
flourish, mature and spread their seeds
on garden and lawn. Delinquent own
ers Of such places should be reminded
from the proper source that the scythe
timely applied this spring means i'm
munity from the perils of the hoe and
digger next year.
The Springfield Republican starts the
weed story with:
One usually thinks of the west as
too hustling to let grass grow in its
thoroughfares, but the Northern Paci-
fic railroad is having trouble keeping
the Gandelions off its tracks in Wash
ingtOn. The plants are encroaching
On the rails, and many Japanese are
employed digging them up. The people
at Walla Walla are experiencing much
trouble from dandelons in their lawns
and the things are fast assuming the
proportions of pest.
The Rochester Herald goes a few
steps farther and says:
We guess the people of Walla Walla
are not more pestered with dandelions
than the people of Kalamazoo, or Osh-
kosh, or Rochester. In some localities
here they have acquired entire possess
sion of the lawns, and digging them
out does precious little good, since
they are allowed to grow and go to
seed. and grow again and go to seed,
on the thousands of vacant lots about
the city We have an ordinance re-
quiring vacant lot owners to keep the
weeds cut down, but we noticed par
ticularly last year that the department
of the city government which has that
matter in charge made no move to-
word its enforcement until after the
seed had ripened and the wind had
scattered it thoroughly. Then the de-
partment was heard to mutter, bat the
horse had been stolen.
And speaking about weeds reminds
us of a dispute in the custom house
down in New York a few months ago.
between an importer and the apprais-
ers. The importer had brought over
from Germany or Switzerland a guam
tity of worthless seeds. the purpose of
which was to adulterate farm seeds,
and he didn't like the rate of duty APP
piled This seemed to establish the
fact that the policy of the government
is to permit the importation of the
sesds Of nCXous weeds at the same
time that the agricultural department
is endeaVOring to help the farmers
fighting them. Thus there used to be
n law making mandatory the killing OF
the Canada thistle. but we suppose it
has been a dead letter for many years.
A while ago our state legislature en-
acted a law compelling the railroads
to keep under control weeds on their
right of way. but most of the rail-
roads are inclined to do that without
a mandate From time to time we
hear of the extraordinary steps inau-
gurated on some of the ns-Missis-
Slppl lines 10 HSHl NeSu peSlS' WHICH
would seem to imply that they are a
serious menace to the welfare of the
roads.
In view of all these facts regarding
weeds. it is rather curious that city
governments should be so slack in
dealing with the weed pest, and that
the federal government should permit
the importation of noXious weed seds
is almost unbelievable.