Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-04-28
Weeds of Maine and their Control.

Wee0S OF MAINE anu tncir SouSIos
"Cut out the weeds and the saving
will more than pay the farm taxes II
Maine," a startling statement but tru'
one, says Professor Harold s. Osler II
lecturing on "Weeds and their Control
in the Farmers Week Course at Orono
He further says: "Weeds may be in
dcted on the following counts:
1st They remove plant food and de
plete the soil water content.
I'd. They crowd out useful plants.
Sd. They detract from the appear
ance and value of the farm.
4th. Desirable systems of rotation o.
crops have to be changed to plan FOL
their control.
5th. The cost in terms of labor, us'
of plant food, and soil water, and de
creased value of property is excessive.
No more important lecture was giver
in the Farmers Week Course, than the
one reported below. Read it.
The profit from the increase in yield
of crops by preventing the growth ol
weeds would be sufficient to pay the
taxes. Systematic study OF losses due
to weeds has shown that the losses Tor
one season in one crop amounted to
eight million dollars for single state
The total loss in the United States Is
very great. Much of this could be pre-.
vented by better care In handling pas
lures and bay lands and in the applica-
ton of better methods of cultivation.
Undesirable plants not only remove the
natural plant food and part OF the tertil'
izers applied, but draw heavily on the
water content of the soil. They grow
rapidly and cut off the light from the
more slowly growing plants. When dry
times occur they do their greatest de,
struction. They crowd out the useful
plants and are source OF expense as
thew require more labor in cultivation
and more careful attention to harvesting.
Desirable systems of rotation must be
changed in order to keep them under
control. They detract from the appear
ance and value of a farm. Their pres
eucs NAV induce better soil cultivation.
They act as a cover crop, and retain SOL
uble plant food and they may be plow-
ed under and add humus to the soil,
but this should never be done after the
seed ripens.
Certain weeds are characteristic oil
certain parts Of the farm, as along road
sides, in cultivated fields and in waste
places. Thoir periods Of life may be
one, two OF three years or longer. A
knowledge of the length of life and the
manner OF growth is necessary Tor In
telligent systems of control. In exter'
minatiop. check their spread by prevent
ing seed formation, by care IN applying
manures and by cultural methods.
Some plants, like the witch-grass and
orange hawk weed propagate both by
seeds and underground stems. The
seed Of many plants retain their vitality
for long periods of years. The mustard
will germinate after being in the ground
from ten to twenty years or longer.
Annual weeds can best be controlled
by proper crop rotation. Continuous
cropping increases the number Of weeds.
Continuous growing of oat and nax IN
the Northwest left the fields 80 full OF
mustard and wild oats that these crops
had to be abandoned in many grain pro
ducipg sections, the tillable land was
converted into pastures aud hay land
and the weeds have ceased to DO Sc
troublesome.
Seed formation is annual in weeds,
such as mustard or charlock and the
wild radish, which is wrongly called
kale. aud others OF this class, making II
desirable TO destroy many of the weeds
when they are young. Some extra la
bor in the spring may save considerable
labor later in the season. Sprays may
he used but are not always successful
unless the method of mixing and ap
plying the proper chemicals is we'll un
derstood.
Bienuials, or weeds requiring two
wears to produce seed, are not nearly &c
numerous as the annuals or perennial
and are much more readily destroyed
than the latter. By keeping the tops
cut. no seed will be formed. ln the case
of the bull thistle. dock and carrot, II
the top is removed, below the crown
with spade, during the latter part OF
rhe first seasons growth, they will mol
shoot up in the second season.
Perennials are nearly always difhcui'
To control. This is on account OF thei'
root system and methods of propaga
tiou; for controlling, cultural methods
are best. Summer towering and smoth'
eriug crops can be used to advantage
Rape and millet are good, IL plenty oi
plant food is available. The control
will be more economical IL the work Car
be done by machinery. Weeds in hay
land can be controlled by moving
grazing. and rotation. Iu grain fields
by clean seed, early fall plowing and al
lowing sheep to clean up after harvest
inc the grain. The weeds of the road
side and yards are usually ANIMALS sno
can be controlled by cutting when II
the bloom. Never allow any to mature
seeds. 80.
Summer fallowiug and intensive cult
walton may be the only means OF com
plete eradication in some cases. The
orange hawk weed and king devil propa
gate both by seed and creeping stems
The latter is the most persistent ano
both spread rapidly when once intro
duced. The root stalks are usual!
shallow and can be controlled by shor
rotation aud shallow, intensive cultiva
ton. Both of these are especially bac
i'm Kennebec and Penobscot counties
Every farmer should use the creates
vigilance in order that those two weeds
may not be introduced.
In controlling witcb-grass, the methot
used will depend on the character OF th'
land where II is growing. Any methot
used must be thorough and all the root
and stems must be destroyed befor'
eradication is complete. The gras
roots are shallowest in pasture land ant
deepest in cultivated fields. The bes
results are secured by beginning 10 mid
summer after the crop has been removed
or the pasture utilized. 1t is suriac
plant and never grows deep. Use
breaking plow with a jointer and pio'
8 10 inches deep, and turned so az u
drop the sod fiat in the furrow. Do no
allow the edges to lap over the othe
slice. Cultivate shallow with q disl
without disturbing the buried roots
Lap the disc halfway and disk owe
twice in the same direction as plowed
Allow driver to walk IL IL cuts too deep
lv. Disk and cross disk and cultivat
shallow using smoothing harrow to kee
soil completely pulverized. Continn
the worx in dry and wet weather, Z
conserve moisture which causes the ouI
led weeds to decompose. BY very care
ful and persistent work a heavy vito
grass sod can be- completely destroyed
This work must be started In the fall an
continued until the next summer 10 o
successful.