Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-03-10
Home Course In
Modern Agriculture
K.-WeedS and How TO Combat Them
By C. W GREGORY,
DfJiSfon. STATE college
by Y. v. SNLOONts
raT DfJiSfo0. IobVa STATE college

heads appear will not XIII the plant.
but II kept up throughout the season
viii prevent II from producing seed.
Ia bad cases about the only remedy is
To plow up the field aud put IL I'm TO
some cultivated crop. Where regu'
lar rotation which includes the mead
ews and pastures is followed this
weed can be readily kept I'm check. a
point that must be carefully attended
TO in preventing the spread Of this ms
well us OF any other weed is TO KEEP
the roadsides and fence corners from
raising weed seed enough each year
TO keep the entire farm seeded.
Another troublesome annual In some
sections OF the country IS the Russian
thistle. n form OF tumbleweed. by
rolling across the fields after Il ripens
II scatters its numerous seeds very
widely. These weeds are usually not
so plentiful but that they can be easily
destroyed 10y pulling before they form
seed BY doing this they may be kept
FROM becoming thick enough to DO any
serious damage
Biennial weeds live through the FIRST
winter and produce seed the second
year OF their life. They die rs soon a'
the seed is ripe The common bul and
prairie thistle and burdock are con
spicuous examples OF this class q
weeds. Bicnnials are not difficult I,
Shbdue. In cultivated fields they sci
dom live long enough to produce seed
They seed so late that they hardly
ever rlpen seed In meadows. In per
manent pastures they may be con
trolled by cutting OF below the sur
face OF th- ground just ut the BEGIN
ming OF blooming time. sheep an,
goats will rid 4 pasture of these anS
all other troublesome weeds
The hardest class Of weeds TO con-
bat are the perennials. These do no
depend entirely upon seed production
to spread themselves. but a~e propa
gated by means Of undcrEroun,
stems. These stems extend along bc
meath the surface OF the ground. send
Inc up stalks AT short distances. The,
1--we I'm the soil from year TO year, send
ing MP fresh shoots every spring
Some OF the most common and trou
blesomc perennials are the Canad.
thistle. morning glory. Wild artichokc
milkweed ANA Qgack grass Thes
weeds are found on all parts OF tn
farm-in cultivated fields. In small
grain and I'm meadows and pastures
The only way 10 Kill them f. 10 de
stroy the roots or starve them 10y pre-
venting LEAF growth. This IL mucl
more easily said than done. Whcr'
the weeds occur only I'm small patches
the desired result may be accompllshe,
by covering them with n thick layc
Of straw. In dry season thorough
cultivation will discourage them
though IL Will seldom extcrninat,
them entirely. When the ground 4
wet cultivation will do more TO sprea,
perennial weeds than To kill them
The pieces of the underground Stcm
which stick 10 the Shovels will grow
wherever they happen 10 fall and thu
start a new center OF trouble.
or all the means OF getting rid o
perennial weeds that have been trie,
none is SO effective as turning the feel,
into n hog pasture. III the fields ar
fenced hog tight and the rotation In
cludes the hog pasture the hogs vii
get a chance at all parts ~ the farm