American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-08-10
THE WEED PROBLEM.

What are the Power county farmers
going to do about weeds? Is it desir-
able to enact weed law that Is ade-
Quato and effective and that will lake
every farmer ma.nisin practices that
insure determination and contro. OF
weed pests?
These questions are going to demand
consideration from our farmers right
now. Why does not the community
of farmers realize the very real dam
ger OF heavy losses from weeds the
same as from other pests? The only
answer to the last question is that
there are not enough striking examples
of heavy losses and that these have
not as yet become common to all In
our newly developed sections. Here
is where we should learn to profit by
the experience of older sections In
which the farmers fight weeds as Wig
orously and as systematically as Twin
Falls has grasshoppers this summer
| and as Franklin county did squirrels
last spring and as we did rabbits last
winter Weeds are more real and
greater causes of loss on the average
farm than any group OF insects or an
imal pests known, yet we are IDLY
watching them make us go behind
hundreds of dollars TO the farm every
year while we rise as one man over
an entire section to exterminate grass
hoppers, squirrels and rabbits.
No. a weed law can only help. We
cannot legislate weeds out OF exis-
tence until we can legislate farm
practice into use. Such laws are
characteristically in force in coun-
tries in a state of war and are not
becoming to people OF peace.
There is but one alternative and
that is for the community to come &c
realization of the actual losses II
incurs from the tolerance OF weec
crops by those interruptions individ
uals who play the game OF chance II
farming at the expense OF theil
neighbors. Each community shorlt
organize to consider the best methods
of weed eradication and after deter
mining what these are should develoI
. we'll defined sentiment which woult
make every individual wish to remain
in good standing with the neighbors
Power county has suffered some
serious Losses this year. There is on
report to the effect that one farme
suffered $4,000 loss in one field les
: than 160 acres in size from Jim Hi
mustard that was not OF his own rais
ing. He was forced to cut all thi
100 acre grain field with mower an
! burn everything 1t was unft for ma
;, even. 1t is the concess OF opinion VI
and down the valley in which this ma
farms that he is as good farmer
tills the soil in Power county and ina
this 16O-acre field was as clean
piece of summer fallow last seaso
as one could find. 1t is authoritative
stated that his fields yielded him .
to 40 bushels to the acre last yea'
The county agent has visited his fari
and can find nothing but truth
{ every statement made. VINO then Is
e fault? He has a neighbor VINO ma
/ had a similar experience and VINO !
s blameless. Somewhere in that con
munity is a man who does not car
e who takes no though OF himself or n
't neighbors and against whom in a hig
court OF justice judgment ought to
, secured for the value OF the Gro
IS grown last year on 240 acres OF we
'e summer fallowed land by two OF h
d neighbors. But IL is not the perfe
J. justice we are requiring. There shoul
be a unity OF effort to stand for u
u best practices and principles in farm
10 ing and a harmony in sentiment Wit
D. in the community which would woI