The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-06-24
WEEDS--A LUXURY.
They Are Not Only Unsightly, but De-
structive. ,

"A neighbor of ours" wrote a friend
recently, "has just lost his most valu-
able COW from eating poisonous weeds
while in the pasture" Such an accident
is unfortunately only hint of the many
other mishaps occurring continually from
carelessness of the same kind, and when
to the long list is also added loss of
crops due to weeds, the great loss in land
values, etc, is it possible the average
man who spends at least part of his en-
ergy, time, and money outdoors, fails to
realize that the annual aggregate runs
up into hundreds of millions of dollars
In passing along the shaded highways,
ii would appear as though few, i-deed,
make much of an effort to rid the soil
of weeds, and, as matter CT fact, those
who should know are frequently unable
TO distinguish ruinous weeds from val
liable plants. 1t stands to reason, how
ever, that only those able to recognize
weeds are the ones most apt to get rid
of them.
Reasons for Getting Rid of Them.
Now, on general principles, weeds COM
ing up in lawns and gardens can be told
at a glance, excepting, perhaps, 9uack,
crab, barnysrd, and johnson frass.
Therefore, if plant not resembling any
of the grasses is noted in lawn or pas
lures, it is safe to have it pulled out
at once. Weeds are exceedingly harmful
for various reasons. They mature seeds
very rapidly, and, being vigorous and
lusty, produce them in vast quantities.
They are persistent and frequently choke
out their less hardy neighbors, whether
such be vegetables, flowers or grasses.
Worse still, they also take up moisture
needed by crops, and in some cases even
give off substances very poisonous to |
The crops. There are also large numbers |
of weeds known as vines and creepers. |
such as English bindweed, morning glory, |
wild buckwheat. purslane, field dodder, |
etc, which highly injurious weeds wrap
themselves around the nearest plant nd |
eventually choke il 20 death. Weeds /
also make the harvesting and curing of /
crops doubly difficult; among the most |
troublesome in this respect are the Rus.
sian and Canada thistle. bindweed. wild 4
mustard, dodder, and wild onion. Wheat.
foi instance, containing wild onion bulb
lets Is sometimes locked as much as 30
per cent, and in some cases Is quite
unstable. In addition 10 the damage /
already mentioned there are many pois-
onous weeds and Others harboring flung.
Gus and insect pests. Among the for.
mer are poisoned ivy. sumac. Jimson
weed, corn cookie. COW be ne, water parsnip
and locoweed. Wild onion and bitterueea
spoil thpussnd Of dollars worth Of dairy
products annually. snd are the curse OF
many dairymeu in various parts Of Penn.
sylvanis. m
However. II taken in time. reeas
should not b difficult 20 keep IN sub
ieetion. bat Il il ceaselsss slsisor from
srriug until frost. In TINS work Of Grad.
iuat,nE weeds cooperation would prove
Invaluable, but unfortunately too many
landowners seem Hrprse a. working b
harmony. As = sad illustration q uhish
ffids upon helis of sid carrot bar
striking testimony. In Neu Nork state ,
y here there is = Law against afioufnr
this miserable wed 20 70 - Sod. "a y
sen waving IN Nkite biil0wrF r1mssrs
FROM June til snow fies. Get Il then.
- borne ~ mind that ths hoe ard mi
iirstrf are The ireHtsrsta and sunurss.
ful enemi-s IF wrefs. Hnd only ~ Their
ard inrsrishis uss On ths lnrs
b ksFt fire. End ciesn &c 4 shouia -
Tcnrr-irht 1slH - y n ps-tansa-.-Ar