The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-29
FIGHTING THE WEEDS ON
 THE FARM
Plan of Attacking Perennial
 Weeds.

-3sW sWaShfn&IOn3 ApEfAS zS---S9I CA0 three classes of weeds annuals, biennials and perennials, the last is most resis- tant, and because of their propaga- ton, largely by underground parts as well as by their seeds, it is difficult to eradicate them. Farmers, Bulletin No. 66O, weeds: How to Control Them of the U. S. Department of Agriculturey deals not only with per ennials, but with annuals and bien- nia-1s. It points out that it is possible. if a. good rotation is followed to keep the farm almost free from weeds. In regard to preventing perennial weeds from making 3. top growth the buIIe- tin tells of five ways: clean culdva~ ton; pasturings growing smother crops: frequent cutting with a. hand hoe, spud or mower. and smothering small patches with building paper or other material.
 In the main, cultivation will have to be relied upon to destroy perennials, and it is done either with or without a cultivated crop growing on the land. Cultivation is especially effective if the field has been planted in check rows. so as to permit the field being worked in two directions. Because the ordinary shovel or tooth cultiva- tors may allow many weeds to slip
 through unharmeds the sweep or weed
 knife type is recommended. These types of cultivator skim along under the surface Of the soil and cut off all weed stems.
 Most we'll established perennials i will continue to send up their tops
 after cultivation stops, no matter how
 thoroughly they have been, cut down during the period of cultivation. This situation is met by frequent chop
 pings with a, hoe. If the top is thus thoroughly kept down for .. year it
 is usually sufficient to eradicate even the worst of our perenniaIs. This | ,aTo e.ofo aiTsa
 Canada thistle. bull nettle, and bind-
 weed, or wild morning glory.
 A bare fal1ow is often used to attack the perennial weed crop. However, 1t
 is seldom advisable in fighting weeds | to faIIow for an entire year as it does l not permit the farmer to get any use of his land. A good plan is to use 1 the land during the early part of the
 season, and to faI1oW it the latter part. l Thus the land may be pastured up to I midsummer, or a crop of hay or small grain may be taken off before starting | the fal1ow. This plan has the advan- l tage of starting the work of eradica- ton by following at a period when nearly all weeds are in their most
 susceptible stage. Under this plan the lwork Of following should be started as
 soon after harvest as possible. The Hand is plowed and then narrowed or disked at frequent intervals during the l remainder of the season to prevent top growth. Ordinarily shallow blow Iingfis4 best in following for weed con I troI. as thos keeps the mass of weed roots at or near the surface where they will be more easily dried out by the sun. Under this plan the greater I part of the eradication is done by Elarge implements and without the I hindrance of cultivated crops Fur l thermore it is done in the time of i year when the farmer is ordinarily
 not pressed with other work It is quite successful against the weedy 1 grasses such as Johnson grass, Ser rnuda grass. and quack grass.
 ] As smother crops, those most com i nonly used are alfalfa, buckwheat, I soy beans, ni1Iet, sorghum and bur I clover. Alfalfa, where it succeeds T well, is the most effective smother I crop, largely because it combines fre- quent clippings with the smothering effect. Closely allied with the smoth- CT crops for keeping down perennials lures, roadsides and other uncultivat- ed places. Pasturing with sheep, hogs, or goats is of some value in eli
 r1ainating the perennials and has been used to great advantage in getting rid of such weeds as bindweed. or
 wild morning gIcry. While smother
 crops pasturing and moving may
 eradicate perennial weeds they make
 much easier the work of weed eradi- I cation by cultivation that should fol- low
 Really as important as the princi-
 pIes of weed elimination is the man behind them. Clearing a. farm of
 weeds, especially perennials, is no easy task, requiring a systematic plan of ) attack carried through to finish.