Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-01
KILL GARDEN WEEDS
TO SAVE THE PLANTS

Weeds, we are told. are good things for
a. garden. provided we hoe them out.
When we hoe we stir the soil, which
conserves the moisture, which aids IN
producing abundant crops. Yet 1t is
hard to be thankful for the weeds. And
of all the persistent. peace wrecklns'
sweat inducing tribe. witch grass is
among the worst. Get after it hard IN
the early spring, when the seeds are
terminating, and it may be rooted out
/, without much difficulty. but after it has
become well established it fairly dehes
the hoe the rake and the cultivator to-
gether.
Buds are constantly starting from the
roots underground, and a lusty plant VIII
soon spring up from an insignificant
piece of stem left in the earth. 1t can
be destroyed only by repeatedly dlsglns
1t out with a sharp hoe in dry weather,
allowing it to wither in the hot sun.
the weather is wet it must be carried
away from the garden or 1T VIII take
root and start up again In the mos
determined fashion. The Warren hoe is
best to use. The blade is triangular In
shape and comes to a sharp point al the
bottom.
Annual weeds are rather easier to get
rid Of when they are kept from making
seed. At this season pigweed, ra2weed
and purslain are much in evidence.
Pigweed left to itself will grow as high
as a mans head. Usually these weeds
may be kept in subsection with the hand
cultiyator or the rake. Hoeing is some
times called for, and handwork is need
ed il they grow among the plants In the
rows.
1t is a great advantage to have the
garden crops planted in rows rather than
in beds, for cultivation Is made easier and
weeds have less opportunity to get foot
hold. A great many weed seeds are scat
tered through the garden in manure.
People often let their manure piles grow
up to weeds. which is equivalent TO
heaping up wrath against the day of
wrath Likewise. weeds growing in the
fence rows will scatter their seeds over
acres of land, aided and abetted by the
wind and the birds 1t is fine plan to
have stout wire fences with iron or con-
crete posts Then all the grass and weeds
which accumulate along the fences may
he burned once a year with only little
effort
Many of the weeds with which we are
most familiar are not. Americans. The
daisy, the dandelion. plaintain and the
Russian thistle have all been imported
from Europe. The dandelion Is. of course,
often served for greens" and purslain
is used on the table, too.
Weeds on the lawn frequently are as
much of nuisance as in the garden. but
the dnnudlS may DC cI dulSdtCu ps Aio"
ing the grass at least once week, thus
preventing their going to seed. With a
strong. vigorous growth of grass many
weeds will simply be crowded out. Pull
| ing out weeds is bad practice, as many
grass roots are certain to come with
them, with the result that an unsightly
bare spot Is created. Sowing grass seed
fall and spring where the growth Is light
is important. for the presence of many
weeds is a reasonably sure indication that
the lawn is in poor condition and requires
more or less reseeding.
Plaintain is a signal to those who
know the code. 1t means that the soil is
poor and dry. Manure should be applied
freely i'm the fall while In the spring the
grass should be raked over and more seed
sown, the earlier the better. Then the
plaintain will be crowded out. If the
condition is bad. though. 1t may be
necessary to spade up the lawn and work
in a liberal amount Of decayed manure to
supply humus, apd enable the soil to hold
water Weeds, like dandelion and dock.
may have to be dug out. but grass seed
should be sown at once. 1t is said that
dandelions may be killed by cutting on
the tops and injecting little gasoline
into the roots with a machine oil can.