The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1914-10-30
DETERMINED WAR
AGAINST WEEDS
SHOULD BE STARTED BY The
FARMERS OF TENNEssEE-RE.
PEATED WARNINGS ISSUED.
The Successful Eradication Of Weeds
Depends Upon knowledge OF
Their Growth.
(By A. L. Garrison, Chief Feed, Seed
and Fertilizer Inspector.)

and Fertilizer Inspector.)
The annual losses caused BY weeds
on Tennessee farms deserve more Sc
rious consideration than they have
thus far been given by the farmers
of the state. The Department OF
Agriculture has accumulated con.
siderable evidence which shows
certain portions OF the state to
be infested with weeds TO such an
extent that 1t is very advisable to car.
ry on determined warfare to eradi.
cate them.
For many years those interested in
scientific and permanent agriculture
have thoughtfully considered the
damage done by weeds and have Is.
sued repeated warnings. But this
work was confined almost entirely to
preventive measures, and largely
along the line of seed selection and
seed inspection for the purpose of in.
surfing clean seed.
Farmers on virgin soils OF the
United States where weeds were not
numerous were inclined to ridicule
the idea that weeds could ever become
seriously troublesome. The fears OF
the scientists, however, have been
realized, and many farms in the
United States have been abandoned
because weeds multiplied and spread
SO rapidly that the farmers have be.
come discouraged, and given up in
despair. That such conditions as
these exist even in Tennessee may be
surprising to many: yet such is the
case. and noxious weeds are spread.
ing here at rate which has alarmed
those who are acquainted with the
seriousness Of the situation.
On many farms in this state fully
20 per cent OF Che crop producing
capacity has been destroyed by weeds.
What this means to the owner of q
l6o-acre farm can be shown by few
figures. Twenty-Five per cent of 100
acres 10 40 acres. At 80 bushels per
acre this area should produce 1900
bushels OF corn. With corn ct so
cents per bushel the crop would be
worth $72O. With land worth $l0O
per acre, the farm would have q value
OF $4,000. A loss OF 1920 on an iu-
vestment OF $4,000 is loss of ~
per cent--surely more than the aver.
age farmer can afford to bear. II
Very good crops must be grown on
the remainder OF the farm II such q
loss is to be overcome. The majority
of farmers cannot long make profit
under such conditions.@ Fortunately
such conditions do not exist In all
sections OF the state, and farmers
whose farms are not yet infested
should take extreme care that weeds
are. eradicated before they spread.
This statement Is designed to arouse
those interested In be&ter farming to
some energetic and concerted action
for weed control and eradication be.
fore conditions become more serious.
The successful eradication OF weeds
depends upon a knowledge of two i'm.
portant points. First, how long does
the plant live? Second, how does 1t
reproduce and spread
With respect to duration OF life,
there are three classes of plants
ANNALS. biennials and porennials. An
annual comes up from a seed, bears
flowers and seeds, and later dies; all
within one year. A biennial grows
from seed, but produces only leaves
the first year. The root, apd some
times the leaves, lives through the
winter. The second year flower
stalk comes up, seeds are produced.
and the plant dies. A, perennial is one
the roots of which live on year after
year unless killed In some way. De-
pending upon conditions, the plant
may or may not produce seed every
year.
The Importance of the subject will
not permit OF touching on the methods
Of eradication, which will be treated
In later article.