The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-01-05

edy sufficiently drastic to counterfeit
the evil.
AS before remarked, farmer can
accomplish but little without che CO
operation Of his neighbors. A gener-
al system Of crop rotation with about
one fifth of the farmed area devoted
to a cultivated crop, especially corn,
and the wild oats that grow up in
the hill, hand pulled, so that none go
to seed, will go a long way toward
keeping the weeds on the farm re-
duced to negligible numbers, but
with no physical obstruction against
the distribution of weed seeds by the
spring winds, the task of keeping the
weeds in subsection is most difficult.
Where farmers generally cooperate
for the eradication Of weeds, however
the chances for their determination
is more promising.
Cooperation without a plain, con-
sistent, and workable law, with pro
vision for its most rigid enforcement
however, will hardly be realized. 1t
almost seems as though some kinds
of cooperation must be made compul-
sorry. The evils that are now ap-
parent and the greater evils yet in
store from the increase of noxious
weeds, such as wild oats, kindhead,
SOW and Canada thistles and quack
grass, would seem to make an issue
of such proportions as to arouse pub
lie opinion sufficiently to wage war
of determination against them.
For business reasons seed merch
ants are generally against drastic
laws regulating their business. Many
of them have done irreparable injury
to the state by selling grain contain
mated with foul seeds. Farmers also
are often opposed to the rigid en-
forcement of laws regulating the sale
of hay containing weed seeds, such
quack grass, or seed grain contamin.
ated with a percentage of foul seeds
as we'll as for enforcing laws for the
destruction of weeds growing on
their farms. But the business op
portunity of seedsmen and the license
of farmers to thus further pollute
the state would seem less important
than the general welfare; and hence
the sale Of impure seeds of every
character should be prohibited by law
with penalties stiff enough to COM
mand their respect. Furthermore,
some system of general and earnes.
cooperation for the eradication of
bad weeds must be organized for the
states good name and for the farm
ers prosperity.
Livestock is perhaps the most fea-
sible remedy and at the same time
the most business like and rational.
Sheep are good weed scavengers and
sheep as well as all other kinds of
livestock require roughage and other
sorts of feed, the production Of
which insures the destruction Of
weeds. The cultivation of corn, pc
tatoes and other root crops, together
with alfalfa and pasture and meadow
lands, all discourage the propagation
of weeds.
Moreover the presence OF livestock
on the farm insures abundance Of
manure and not only arrests evapor-
alton but makes the cereal crops
themselves economical of moisture.
In other words manure in the soil
retards capillarity and also enables
the plant to mature on a little more
than half as much moisture as when
grown from soil lacking In humus.
In a semi arid country moisture is
the governing factor that regulates
the yield OF grain obtained at har-
vest time. Its conservation, there
fore is OF the utmost importance and
nothing sucks it out faster than do
weeds nor conserves 1t more than
abundance of manure and thorough
tillage, the farmer depending upon
the feeding OF livestock on the farm
and the latter upon the intelligence
and industry OF the farmer. AS a
matter OF fact where livestock is
popular, intelligence and industry are
seldom wanting.
One thing Is so apparent that II
seems no longer debatable, namely
the day OF successful all small grain
farming is past. The farmer to bt
will be a farmer in the full sense Of
the term. and will not permit ho'
day. rost, dose Of rust or a mai
storm to wipe out his years work
Weeds, gophers, and drought, result
ing from weeds together with Other
drawbacks, are the scourges that are
driving North Dakota farmers into ,
more rational husbandry-one tina
| "a a.