The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-05-13
COMBATING The
RUSSIAN thistle
PROFESSOR SHAW GIVES SOME
VALUABLE INFORMATION RE-
GARDING DANGEROUS WEED
TIME TO FIGHT is WHEN THEY
ARE STARTING.

Prof. Thos. Shaw: 1t would seem
safe to say that no weed is more harm
full at the present time to the agrlcul-
ture of the Northwestern states than
the Russian thistle. 1t harms the crop
by crowding it in some instances to
such an extent as to render 1t no
worth harvesting. It's presence also
adds greatly to the labor of harvesting,
especially when the growth made has
been strong. 1t also gives much
trouble in summerfanowed lands and
cultivated crops by the strong and
rapid growth which the plants make
on these in the latter part of the
growing season.
The farmer is in a sense Defense
less against invasion from this plant.
That is one of its worst features. 1t
is almost impossible to fence against
it, owing to the ease with which it is
carried with the wind. Our demon
stratton farm at Elgin, N. D., is sur
rounded with a woven wire fence.
The fence is five feet high. Il the
summer of 1912 a part of the land
inside was summerfallowed and kept
quite clean. At this date, April 81,
the young Russian thistles are
abundant on this land n are from
one to two inches high. These come
from seed that was scattered during
the winter. More than once during
the winter did the thistles pile up out
side of the fence until they, along
with the sno that drifted in, formed
an inclined plane as high as the fence
over which the thistles that came later
rolled with ease, scattering seeds as
they went. In other instances the
dried thistles would be caught up into
the air by gusts of wind and carried
right Over the fence without touch
ing 1t. The most regretful feature is,
that the land which may be made ever
so clean by the farmer one season may
be reseeded again with thistles be-
fore any crop is planted on it the
next season. Until the farmers make
common cause therefore against this
weed it will not be eXterminated.
What then can be done? The best
that can be done at present is to
manage the newly sown grain so
that the thistles may be prevented
from doing any serious harm. This
can only be lone by the iudicious
us Of the harrow and weeder on the
grain crops until after the grain has
reached the stage when it will over
shadow any thistles that may germi-
nate later. In dry seasons especially,
the thistles will be greatly harmful
to h grain unless they are in some
way checked.
How is their growth to be checked
In the grain? BY the judicious use of
the harrow and the weeder. The har-
row alone may suffice. The same is
true Of the weeder. But usually the
two In combination will give better re-
suits than either alone. The procedure
In many instances will be in outline as
follows: First, the harrow should be
run over the ground as soon as the
grain begins to appear, giving the
teeth a backward slant during the OPP
Grafton. This will stir the entire sur
face Of the ground and will DESTROY
the thistles that are just starting
Second. when the grain is 2 to 8 inch
es high the weeder will be- used IN
stead OF the harrow to avoid burvinp
ten grain. Third, use the harrow again
when the grain is S to 6 inches high,
idea is to prevent the thistles
from getting a start until the grain
VIII o~vershadow them. In some in
stances the above procedure for vari-
Gus reasons must be modified.
The thistles can also be- n~reventea
from doing harm in alfalfa. On the
Elgln demonstration farm the dish
was run twice over the alfalfa cron On
April 20. The second time it was dr;v-
en- across the rows. The disks cut FIJI
~. IA inches deep and stirred The
whole surface of the ground The
young thistles just starting in mvriads
were h u uprooted. On Nav The
crop was narrowed. Before the weeds
come on again the alfalfa plant that
were practically unframed bv ~
d1sclng. will overshadow the nant
growth of the thistles. After the erst
cutting of the alfalfa the crop NAV bs
similarly treated. In this way the fbis
ties may be prevented from doing anv
harm In alfalfa except the firstE v ay
that it Is sown. The harm III i first
year may be mininlized by the sowina
the.crop late rather than earIv
The time to fight Russian thist,as !.
Just when they are starting. r. ,,nr,a -
tested. in a short time the roots wiz
have such a hold that the harrow ~
Weeder, the disk or other cultiWs+ one
viii not be able to dislodge them
Inc editors and others who ara Oh
Vlstng farmers tt encourae 90 ~
growth of Russian thistles to nrov lac
1000 for livestock should be niaaas
where they cannot do any more hsrna