The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-02-22
LOSSES
FROM VERMONT WEEDS
Said Lecturer Before Farmers Week at
University of Vermont-Points
of Interest to the Farmers
of the State.

Burlington, Feb. 22.--The second day
of farmers week" at the university
of Vermont was full OF interesting adj
dresses, one by Z. s. Brigham of st.
Adams on Drainage of Farm Land
one by b, i. Lutman plant pathologist,
on Bordeaux and Other Sprays in the
Field" a third by Prof. J. L. Hills of
the university on "Soil Moisture and
fourth by Prof. G. 2. Burns Of the uni
versity on "The Combat with Weeds"
Mr.. Brigham's lecture on drainage OF
farm lands was in part as follows:-
"The first essential in the layout of
drainage system is good outlet.
An open ditch or large tile is to be
preferred. There are three systems in
vogue; the natural system, that is to
say laying tile into natural depressions
which are particularly wet and trouble
some; the gridiron system, which con
templates the drainage of the entire field
to the end that its moisture and textural
conditions may be made as uniform as
practicable; and the single-line system
which consists of laying tile lines in the
direction of the greatest slope, each hay-
ing a separate outlet into an open ditch.
On many lands the natural slope is sufii
Gent to obviate the necessity of a sur
yey The common spirit level may quite
commonly be nsed to determine the
slope. Drains are placed all the way
from 25 to $50 feet apart, according to
circumstances
Prof. Burns on Weeds.
The heavy toll on farms by weeds
was the subject of Prof. Burns talk,
in which he declared that weeds are
the cause of enormous losses causing in
the case of quack grass. as mas been
shown by experiment, as much as 80 per
acre per year This is chiefly due TO
the following facts;
Weeds use the plant food and the wa.
ter from the soil; crowd out the farm
crops; increase the cost of tillage and
harvest; increase the value Of the crop
in the markets by lowering it's grade;
poison stock; and harbor disease, In
one or all these ways the farmers Of
Vermont are paying a terrible unneces-
sary toll. In the fight against weeds
the first step is to stop their introduce
tion They are introduced in impure
seed bought from irresponsible dealers.
in feeds for dairy cattle. and are spread
on the fields in manures One sample
OF clover seed analyzed by the station (
contained is different kinds Of weed I
seeds, among which were eight Of the 1
most damaging seeds Of Vermont. A
pound of this seed contained 10000 weed 4
seeds Five pounds to the acre. then. I
would SOW for the farmer 100000 weeds 1
II is as essential that a farmer should
be well acquainted with these enemies I
as that he should recognize his agricul- T
tural friends The methods for combat /
ting weeds are chiefly cultivation, which 4
is effective in some cases, and treatment .
with chemical sprays iron sulphate. etc .
In the case of kale. IL has been dem
oustrated that Is TO 100 pounds of iron (
sulphate dissolved in SO gallons of water
will entirely eradicate kale from one
acre without injury to the crop Only 1
those weeds whose leaves can be wet
BY the spray can be eradicated in this
way.
Importance Of Water
The Importance Of water in crop de-
velopment was explained by Prof. Hills
by saying that it was the most i'm
portant and the control of soil moisture
is partially in the grasp Of the farmer
He said that water makes up the bulk
of all farm products both plant and
animal From - to 0-l0 of al crop
growth and from ~ to Is of all animal
structure consists of water Further
more, during growth each plant and
each animal Uses many hundred times
its weight of water Again, water
shortage at any time in the course of
growth lowers productivity. Clearly. IT
is worth while to know what water is
and how to manage it.
Soil water may be in excess or be de-
ficient. If the former drainage is the
sovereign remedy; II the latter, irriga-
ter, and the capillary OF rising or film
ployed. Since on welI-draiued eastern
soils irrigation is rarely practiced. let
us review tillage as means to this
end il
Soil moisture exists in three different
forms alike chemically unlike physical
"; viz. the gravitational OF standing
water the Microscopic or invisible wa
ter, and the capillary or rising or film
water The two former are OF no service
save as sources whence film water NAV
be supplied but from film water all
plants derive their supplies Of food and
drink.
The soil Is not solid mass, but is full
Of pores; otherwise water would not
sink into H. Different soils contain {
different proportions These pores be-
tween the particles are small and resem-
bic capillary tubes like the openings /
between the fbres Of a lampwick Just {
rs the oil passes mp through between !
the lampwick fbres and Is vaporized by
the heat Of the flames. 50 by the heat .
Of the sun the water brought TO the sur
face through and between the soil parti- {
lies is vaporized The water thus pass.
ing from the soil surface is Of no use 4,
n crop growth. It is entirely practical I
BY adequate cultivation after the crop /
i MP. to break and clog these fine tubes :
and greatly 20 lessen this loss Of water. ]
From oue-duarter 20 one third Of the I
water which otherwise would he lost {
10 crop growth NAV BE- thus saved. and I
left in the exact place where o
,rons would make use of &C. that Is 10