Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-02
SALT WEAPON TO
KILL DANDELION
Department of Agriculture
Gives Methods of Keeping
Lawns Free From Pests.

The best way TO kill individual dan
delion plants is to cut off their tops
and put pinch of salt (about a Thin
blefuD on the surface of each exposed
root. This will kill most of them. AS
salt, If generally applied, ruins soil,
the salt should be used sparingly and
applied only TO the root-tops of the
dandelion. The United States depart
ment of agriculture has for some time
been testing various poisons to discov-
er the most efficient means of eradi-
eating this troublesome weed from
lawns, but although others have been
found satisfactory, the common salt is
best for general use as there is no
danger accompanying it application.
The departments specialists say
that much effort is wanted in merely
cutting off the dandelion top without
applying some poison to the root that
remains The dandelion has a tap
root that grows deep into the soil and
cutting off the plant merely encour-
ages the dandelion to come up in a
thicker growth.
The time to eradicate dandelions is
in the spring before the plant has had
time to form seed. The seed spreads
rapidly. blown by the wind. The bios
SONS should be close mown before
they have gone to seed and salt should
then be applied to each root. A man
may be very dilligent in caring for his
own lawn and yet have seeds blown
in from neighb boring lawns. This is
of such importance to those desiring
fine laws that it might be made a mat
ter for community action.
If the lawn is very full of this weed
it is too tedious a process to treat each
plant by the salt process. In this case
two possible methods of eradication
may be recommended. The first method
is to thicken the stand of grass to tend
to crowd out the dandelion. The grass
should be put into vigorous condition
by top dressing with well-rotted ma
nure or fertilizer in the fall, and by
reseeding in thin places. The second
method, advised in extreme instances,
is to start all over again. P!ow up the
lawn first Tor spade it up if the area
is smalD. A generaus amount of we'll
rotted manure should then be worked
into the soil, but not fresh manure,
for that is full of weed seeds ready to
terminate. In case manure is not
available, commercial fertilizers may
be used. Many lawn soils are in need
of lime, and it is often a wise plan to
use it, especially if white clover is to
be sown. After blowing, the land
should be narrowed or raked frequent
ly to reduce it to a good seed bed con-
dition. This will encourage the early
termination of weed seeds with the
subsequent determination of the seed
Iings. Thorough cultivation at this
period will destroy the dandelion
plants. both those that come from
roots and seeds. After following eth
er of the two plans sketched here, the
lawn should be maintained in good
condition by careful moving, rolling
and watering.
Spraying with iron sulphate solution |
to kill dandelions without killing the
grass is not recommended by the de-
partment, although it has been tried |
by some who consider it successful. |
do not seem to establish |
it as a practical method.
The dandelion is not a native Amer |
lean plant, having been introduced |
from Europe several centuries ago. 1t |
was first introduced in the east, and !
has spread westward with our emigra- |
ton. The weed is common all over |
and has gone into other lands |
with settlers from the older country, |
always being found near the commun-
tiles of man.
The name "dandelion" is said to
come from the French, Dent de Lion"
which means tooth of lion and refers
to the tooth shaped edges of the leaf
Of the plant.
Another weed that Injuries the beau
~ of many lawns is the plantain, of
which there are two varieties; the
or rib grass; and the COM
non, or broad leaf
The same methods that apply to
the dandelion apply to the
,lantain except the method of poison
ng the individual plant. Instead of
cutting off the top and sprinkling the
DOT with salt as is done in the case
If the dandelion. the individual plan
ain may best be removed by pulling
p by the root after a heavy rain when
he ground is wet. The plantain does
lot offer a difficult problem, as the
cots are pulled up readily. even from
lay soil. after heavy rain.
I