Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-05-21
PINCH Of SALT FOR DANDEL|0NS
Department Of Agriculture Gives Prac-
ticnl Methods for Killing Dande-
lions and Plantnius.

The best way to kill individual dande-
lion plants is to cut off their tops and
put a pinch of salt (about thimblefuD
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 sparlngly and applied only
to the root-tops OF the dandelion The
United States department of agriculture
has for some time been testing various
poisons to discover the most efficient
means of eradcating this troublesome
weed from lawns, but although others
have been found satisfactory, the COM
mon salt Is best for general use as there
is no danger accompanying its applica-
ton.
The departments specialists say that
much effort Is wasted in merely cutting
off the dandelion top without applying
some poison to the root that remains.
The dandclion has a tap root that grows
deep into the soil and cutting off the
plant merely encourages the dandelon to
come up in thicker growth
REMOVE DANDELION BEFORE IT
GOES TO SEED.
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 blossoms should
be close mown before they have gone to
seed and salt should then be applied to
each root. a man may be very diligent
In caring for his own lawn and yet have
This Is of such importance to those de-
OF III avo La, hnt st ~. 40
a matter for community action.
If the lewn is very full OF this weed
1t Is too tedious n process to treat ca h
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 gra IS
should but into vigorous con-
dition by top dressing with well-rotted
manure or fertilizer in the fall. and by
reseeding In thin places. The second
method, advised in extreme instances. is
to start all over again. Pillow UP the lawn
first Cor spade It up If the area Is smalD.
A generous amount OF well-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 man
ure Is not available commercial fertilizers
may he used. Many lawn soils are In need
of lime and it Is often a wise plan to
use it, especially II white clover Is to be
sown. After blowing. the land should be
narrowed or raked frequently to reduce 1t
| to n good seed bed condition. This Will
encourage the early termination Of weed
seeds with the subsequent determination
| of the seedlings Thorough cultivation at
this period Will destroy the dandellOn
{ plants. both those that come from roots
and seeds After following either Of the
two plans sketched here, the lawn should
| be maintained In good condition by care
full moving rolling and watering.
| Spraying with iron sulphate solution &c
kill dandeions without killing the grass
Is not recommended by the department
| although 1t has been tried by some who
consider It successful Experiments dc
not seem to establish II as a practical
method.
AMERICA.
| The dandelion is not a native American
plant, having been introduced from Eu.
rope several centuries ago. 1t was first
introduced in the East and has spread
westward with our emigration. The wecc
Is common all over Europe and has gone
into other lands with settlers from the
older country, always being found neal
the communities of man.
The name "dandelion" is said to come
from the French, Dent de Lion" which
means tooth of lion and refers 10 the toott
shaped edges Of the leaf Of the plant.
| THE DANDEI.ION AS A TRUCK CROP
The dandellon Is widely used Throughout
Europe as a truck crop. Certain foreign
ers recently arrived in America have con
tinued to use the plant as a vegetable and
Italians in the neighborhood Of larg,
| cities have made considerable profit b,
gathering and taking it to market
| Several places around Boston now grow
the dandelion as truck crop. The seed
| are sown In July or August I'm rows /
inches apart and although the plants ar,
OF good size In the fall they are not gen
orally gathered for the market until earl,
In the spring. AS soon az the snow Is of
the ground the crops are gathered anc
for time the farmers receive from SO
to 81. % a bushel for these green's BY Ma,
the price has fallen to about 50 cents
bushel and then the ground Is plowed VI
to make room for other vegetables, as tn
dandeiion is no longer profitable.
HOW TO GET RID OF PLANTAINS.
Another weed that Injuries the beauty o
many lawns Is the plantain. Of whicl
there are two varieties; the buckhorn, o
rib gras5: ana the corr,non. or broad leaf
The same methods that apply to eradi
eating the dandelion apply 10 the plantail
ezcapt tire method of poisoning the indi
vitual plant. Instead Of cutting OF tn
top and sprtnkling the root with salt a
is done in the case OF the dan6 eiior. tn
individual plantaln may best be removes
by pulling up by the root after a heav,
rain when the ground Is wet. The plan
tain does not offer n difficult problem a
the roots are pulled up readily, even from
clay soil, after heavy rain.