Arizona republican., 1913-02-24
SEEK bANE FOR
 JOHNSON GRASS
Chemist In East Said To Have Discovered Fluid That Instantly Kills Well Known Pest; Government Seeks Secret

Government experts in chemistry and agriculture are trying to find
 the man who put the seek in secret, and thereby locate the genius who
 has found a poison which will kill Johnson grass, the well known nOX-
 iOus weed that is causing no small amount of worry in this valley and
 which at one time threatened to cause legislation in the state house here. The Los Angeles Times comes
 to bat with the following story con- corning the alleged finding of q su
 perlative specific for the pest:
 The County Horticultural COmmis-
 sioners have been much bothered dur
 ing the past month by ranchers and fruit growers concerning the discov-
 cry of fluid by a learned eastern savant that it is said, will kill off the famous Johnson grass, the worst weed that they have to contend with According to the commissioners the fluid was introduced by the Salt Lake railroad, for it's gardners and so well
 has it done it's work that every rancher in the county is anxious to obtain some
 So many reports concerning the effectiveness of the fluid have been
 made to the commissioners that a determined effort was made a few 1 days ago to obtain the name or place where it was manufactured The purchasing agent for the Salt Lake
 however was unable tQ furnish the
 necessary information. The fluid it ! iS said was obtained from an obscure eastern wholesale druggist, who had procured it from a chemist together with the prescription secret. The name of this druggist the Salt Lake ] officials are unable to state. so in order to duplicate the lotion q small amount was sent to the federal la i bratory in Washington. for a com l pietc analysis.
 l The mystical connection according to | Commissioner Meserve. spells almost ! immediate death to the Johnson 1 grass. The weed it is held has a | root extending over three feet. is ex- | ceedingly tough and will not yield to
 d spade or shovel. RancherS and 1 growers have often resorted to ire | quent cutting methods to kill it off but with few exceptions have they been successful others have also
 set it on fire, but not better results were obtained
 According to Commissioner Mes
 erve the Johnson grass does more in- jury each year to thriving crops, than any other combination of pests. Ii | feeds off the roots and stiles the growth of useful plants, alfalfa, gar
 den truck. vegetables, berry and grape vines The value of land is also seriously affected by the vile
 growth afflicted acres having a mar
 ket value much below that of the
 surrounding territory According tC Commissioner Meserve great trouble
 has been experienced in the nOrtl by grape growers with the weed
 Every means known to the culturis
 has been employed to kill it off bu
 each season finds it sprouting strong.
 CT than the previous year. Southerr
 California ranches also have suffered
 considerably from the growth bu not in the same measure as theiI northern cOnferecs.
 So troublesome has the pest beer in the north that an act was passed at the last session of the state leg islature making it a misdeameanO for anyone to encourage or permi to exist on his land. a plant O the Johnson grass species: Severa
 prosecutions in northern countie : have been held, and many factiona I brawls have resulted. Up to the in troduction of the concoction purchas r ed by the Salt Lake officials. no cur $ for the Johnson grass has beel l known to California ranchers. That f why the Horticultural Commissioner , have been showed under with re 7 quests for some of the fluid.