Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-03-11
mAD1cAT1 DASsDKL1oN PEST
70 u. Ediso. Of .be En.e,p,;.<:

To the Editor Of the Enterprise:
Dear Si.-Notins my eommuniea-
tion % "Civie lmp1ovenentr IN your
last isso-e, Mr.. Winterhslter has
kindly sent me several Experiment
Station Bulletins containing inforna-
ton about the determination of the
ldandelion, from which would like TO
print some extracts for the benefit OF
lawn owners, and any others who are
interested in seeing the lawn area
OF our little town maintained and ex-
tended.
The North Dakota Agricultural Col
lege bulletin says: There are many
calls upon the Agricultural Expert
ment Stations to give advice on how
to eradicate the dandelion on parks
and lawns Complete eradication of
this weed is probably impossible, for
the obvious reason that it has gained
a world wide distribution in waste
places and from these may always be
expected to furnish seed for general
distribution upon lawns, parks and
roadsides. Its wind blown seeds are
produced at all times OF the year and
may be expected to be present in
large numbers upon any piece OF
ground. Many OF our best parks and
lawns are only kept free from this
weed by persistent diligence with the
spud or knife. cutting below the
ground. The dandelion being
perennial-rooted stores up large
amount of reserve food in its roots.
but persistent destruction of the leaves
roots must die If sufficiently starved
In this manner. This station has con-
Quoted number of cutting tests upon
old and young dandclions. Plants
readily sent up shoots from roots that
were cut three and four inches below
the surface. But the more often they
were cut Of the weaker became the
oH-shoots. The trouble with the pro-
cess Of cutting is that the surface Of
the lawn is kept too much disturbed
for the formation of a good turf. and
the method actually demands too
much labor.
Another means therefor, the bulle-
tin goes on tol say, is heavy seeding.
At the start the lawn should be given
an extra thick seeding Of blue grass.
Many lawns are kept in good eondi-
tion and free from dandelions by con-
nlied with blue grass. A very salts
factory seeding calls for the use Of
from S to 10 pounds Of seed upon a
100 by $50 II. lot once every three
months-April, July and September.
Keeping a good mat Of grass over the
area, preventing bare spots, leaves no
place for the dandclion seed to bury
itself and gcrminatc. The weed is 4
sun-loving one and the young plants
cannot stand a dense growth OF grass.
So that lawns which are well supplied
with grass seed and regularly mown
give II small chance to get a foothold.
But old plants must be uprooted as
they are sturdy enough to hold their
own. Good success has been
obtained by using large quantities of
white clover seed upon areas infested
with dandelions. The white clover
method is most approved Tor roadside
improvement. Road supervisors and
street commissioners should, after the
streets are properly graded, seed the
roadside and bitches TO white clover.
covering any possible bare spots with
fresh seed every spring.
Fortunately, this bulletin goes on TO
saw. late experiments indicate that
Snraying will give marked success.
The dandelion may be cradicated in
blue grass lawns, in parks and mead
ows and on roadsides. without injury
to the grass, by means OF iron sui
phate sprays properly applied and ap-
piled at the right time. In the region
OF Fargo il is necessary to spray once
Il month to once in six weeks to hold
the dandelion completely in check.
During the present season four times
spraying has completely disposed of
heavy growth of new dandelions,
and sent the dandelions of more than
one years growth into winter without
foliage. That does not mean that
there will be no dandclions on that
lawn the coming year: but it does
mean that with n proper hand-sprayer
and total of eight hours work for
the season the lawn has been freed
from dandelions this year. We can
safely vouch for the statement that
spraying, when properly done, is a
much chcancr means of disposing OF
this pest than any other mode now in
use, and that the grass will in no way
be injured. The writer was able TO
prepare n solution and properly spray
an area of 40 by 20 #. in two hours
time. 1t would of course be impos-
sible to cut more than a few dande-
lion roots in that time. Plantain. the
more hardy, also gradually dies out
under the spraying.
The Bulletin goes on to describe
the hand-spray apparatus and the i'm |
portance OF having a fine spray in
stead of a sprinkling of the liquid.
which when falling in drops rolls off
the leaves before it has time to do |
them effective hurt. and will hurt the |
grass roots below when it drains |
down to them.
Fnr city parks. larger lawns and |
roadsidcs. the Bulletin goes on to say |
some one of the traction cart spray
crs is desirable. Cities and towns
will end this an easy and economical |
way of clearing the roadsidcs OF I'M
sigh.i' weeds Every town should
possess a good spray cart and also a
hand sPrayer for getting into waste