The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1911-05-24
The River Press
Published every Wednesday Morning
By the River Press Publish
ing Company.
CHERISH THE DANOELlON.

The annual temperance OF the
dandelion Gin our midst" is accom-.
panied by the usual crop of specifics
for it's extermin alton. The war
against the dandelion has been pushed
with relentless fury In many parts OF
Montana the past few years, but the
pestiferous weed comes back smiling
every time-slightly dis6gured but
still in the ring.
A new remedy for the daudelion
pest, and one for which broad claims
are made, il recommended by an au.
thority upon poultry and horticulture
Industries that are often intimately
associated and sometimes antaRon.
istic. He recommends ducks as the
champion dsndelion fighters. "Turn
the ducks loose on a dandelton PATCH"
says this authority, land the work of
snnihil alton will soou be completed"
The details of this plan, however,
are not given and the operator is left
in doubt az to the proportions of duck
and dandelion that are necessary to
secure the desired result. How many
ducks must be employed to make fierce
onslaught upon each dandelion plant,
or the number of dandelions that will
be destroyed by a duck Of average
size and vigor, r features of the
program about which we are left in
ignorance.
Another plan that has not yet been
given practical test, but which prom.
Uses we'll from a theoretical viewpoint,
Is suggested by the Muscular, which
discusses the d~andelion tenderly in
these remarks:
"As you walk from your home to
your business these mornings the way
is frightened by the brilliant golden
blossoms of the dandelion. In all the
world there is nothing more CHEEKY
than these 1ecks of gold which are
scattered everywhere along your path,
wherever you walk in Missoula these
days. Were the d%andelion blossom
only at the cost of infinite
labor aud painstaking care, it would
be immensely treasured; it would
be priced beyond measure. But be-
cause it is so common, because it is
given to US, because 1t thrusts it's
CHEEKY face upon US and makes US
it, whether we will or not, be-
cause it is free, we affect to despise 1t.
"And the good people of Kalispell,
by ordinance duly passed and signed
by their city fathers, declare: Section
THAT the plant known as the dan.
delion \ \ n n is declared to be
q common nuisance for all the pur.
poses of this ordinance. Do not the
Kalispell people like greens? Do not
they enjoy the rare be auty of the
dandelion blossom? 1t is more TO be
admired than the tulip; it is brighter
and more cheerful than the crocus: it
is harder and more enduring that the
pansy; it is the chummiest blossom
there is. Why not made friends with
the dandelion? Study the plant and
you'll find much about it to admire"
The suggestion made by the Nilsson.
liam appeals to this newspaper as q
good one. Cherish the dandelion, In.
stead OF making var upon it. Its
belligerent nature resents attack, and
its resistance to violence and oppres.
sion apparently imparts strength and
vitality to its race. Some of the finest
dandelion patches in northern Mon
tana will be found in localities where
the work of determination has been
most st%renuously prosecuted.
Let's change u tactics, and aban.
don the attitude Of hostility toward
the dandelion. Treat it with respect
and consideration. Cultiva ate it fire..
quently and use every precaution to
protect it from conditions that are un-
favorable to growth and development.
On frosty nights, bring it into the
house along with other tender vegeta.
tion; transplant it in the best soil and
most desirable location in the lawn or
garden; spray it frequently with
formaldehyde or some other poison
Gus solution to protect 1t from insects;
give it as much care and attention az
you would bestow upon the choicest
floral specimen in your collection. In
brief, the happiest solution Of the
dandelion difficulty is to kill 1t with
kindness.