The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-01-15

he got a very good crop and all weeds
Were destroyed.
In the spring of 1908, / plowed UNI
der seven acres of SOW thistle. That
was on June 10. There was such q
heavy growth that ! could by no means
cover all the plants, so I disced and
narrowed immediately. / plowed three
times; the first time only about four
inches deep. then deeper, but this is not
necessary. Nothing will be gained
by continuous blowing. ! have not
seen a single plant Of SOW thistle on
that patch since.
Even though the plants are COM
pletely covered, they will come UP
again from the underground stems.
which have received food material for
the production of new leaves. The
plants keep coming up, although
turned under several times, until
the time finally Games when the re-
serve food material becomes exhaust
ed and no more leaves can be pro
SOW thistle must be smothered by
cultivation until all reserve food is
exhausted.
But our question is, "Why do not
farmers succeed In killing SOW
thistle?
have in mind two farmers living
about twenty miles apart. Both have
Wv III ACN%A ~ $1,000 ENF"
~ covered with sow thistle, Canada
thistle and quack grass. Both ploW-
ed with intent to kill, in the spring
of 1911, then left the land with about
15 per cent of the plants not covered.
When more plants came up, they
| disced and again left the field for a
while. Then they plowed and disced
and dragged all summer but in vain.
The Weeds were more numerous in
the spring Of 1912 than yer before.
| Again they plowed, disced and drag
ged, but seemed to be very careful TO.
give the plants time to grow for q
while, after each attack, so that the
roots or underground stems drew
food material through the green
leaves from the air Then. when h
plants were turned under again, the
roots had enough food stored to enc
up more green plants.
I saw the two fields late this fall;
1.-THE thistles ave spread over a large
er area and the quack grass has
lby the harrow. Next year. these two.
farmers may expect the biggest crop
of thistles and quack grass they have
ever seen on their farm.
II do not mean to give advice to
farmers; that would seem like adding
insult to all the injury the weeds
are doing every Year. But am
sorry to see so many farmers cul-
ttivate and try to kill weeds and get
no results. We must not UNDER
take to clean too much and at a
time, but we must do it thoroughly
and not In a half-hearted manner.
Some farmers are seeding part Of
their land down to grass and, after
they have cleaned the rest, they figure
on turning the sod ove and cleaning
1T. What IS worth doing at all is
worth doing well" Remember, mice
will play while the cat is away
II we stay too long away from the
field we are cleaning the weeds Will
get the best OF us.
SOW thistle made its first appear
ance in my locality, IN D few small
patches or every quarter OF land. My
father had the thistles cut down
every year before they went TO seed
and a neighbor of ours MIR. Erland-
son, cut his weeds with b scythe every
year before they went TO seed, but
Tom. Dick and Harry let their weeds
80 to seed With the result that tlrir
lands lis very badly covered with SOW
thistle. while MIR. ETlands0n's and is.
comparatively clean OF this weed, ex~.
cept In places where IL has sprung
up from seed Which was blown from
the land OF some careless 1eighboT.
Mr.. Farmer often asks the question,
What is the use Of killing my
thistles so long as nay rteighboTH do
not even cut their weeds before they
go to seed. Tne seeds blow over TO-
my fields again Again he Will ask
E"Is there no weed 1awg Yes, there
fl d weed law, with good teeth lii II
tain 1l0xi0us weeds To be q public
nuisance and creating commissioner
Of noxious weeds presiding For the
manner Of his APPOINTMENT. and pre-