Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-07-20
SHOULD RID GRAIN
FIELD OF MUSTARD
FARMERS WARNED TO COMBAT
NUISANCE THAT WILL =
RUIN CROPS "a
All Cereals May Be Sprayed With Sui
phate Of Copper

Many grain fields In all parts OF
the country are badly infested with
mustard. Three species--wild mustard
wild radish and wild turnip- are
common in the grain fields, and all
belong to the cruciferae, to which
family belong many of our common
vegetables, as kale, cabbage, cauli-
flower, kohl-rabi, rutabaga and broo-
coli. For this reason such diseases
as clubroot of cabbage are carried by
mustard, says H. Z. Greiner in the
County Gentleman. In most regions
wild mustard is the commonest form,
and in some regions no wild turnip is
found in the same field. The distin-
gushing marks of the three species
are as follows: Wild radish leaves
are indented more deeply than the
others; they are thicker than wild
mustard leaves. When the plant ls
small the wild radish leaves lie fiat
on the ground, spreading four or five
inches across; wild mustard leaves do
Lot lie flat. Wild turnip roots have
the odor Of cultivated turnips, and
hence are easily recognized. The seed
pods of wild mustard are jointless,
md when fully ripe split lengthwise.
widely dispensing the seeds. The seed
pods of the wild radish are divided in
to segments, and when ripe break
erosswise at these lines This habit II
Wild radish makes 1t troublesome, az
the seeds cannot be cleaned from tho
grain so easily as those Of wild mus
tard.
These weeds lessen the grain crop
TO considerable extent. They rob the
cultivated crop Of its moisture and
plant food. Cases are reported in
which mustard in a corn crop has U.s.
ed so much moisture during dry
season that no ear formed, making a
total failure of the crop. Some grain
regions have practically given up the
growing of grain because Of the
smount Of mustard. New York state
agricultural experiment station and
others have experimental until they
have produced combinations that will
! destroy mustard in grains. They have
| found that either sulphate Of iron or
Eulphate Of copper will entirely des-
troy the mustard without injuring the
cultivated crop. Iron sulphate ID
cheaper than copper, so 1t is more
generally used for this purpose. Eth
sr is used at the rate of 100 pounds
Of sulphate in fifty gallons Of water.
Clean an old cider or vinegar barrel,
or an old iron kettle, IL the material
10 to be used at once; place the sui
rhate in this receptacle and add about
half the total quantity Of water After
the material is dissolved add the rest
OF the water. Sulphate of iron viii
dissolve in few minutes, but copper
sulphate requires several hours. The
usual method is to suspend copper
sulphate in a barrel Of water over
night and then dilute to the required
amount. The copper will dissolve
more quickly in hot water, but the
solution must not be applied while
| hot,
Wild mustard may be sprayed at
any time except when the plant is in
bud, when it seems to be the strongest
and most able to resist attacks of any
kind. The best time TO spray is when
the plant has only n few leaves. II
may be sprayed when in bloom, be-
! fore the pods have set. Wild radish
cannot be sprayed successfully after
.our leaves have formed, as it is very
hardy. It must be attacked when the
leaves lie close to the ground. Wild
turnip is still very scarce in most
places. 1t is not SO hardy as wild rad
jsh, and may be successfully sprayed
until after six leaves have formed. In
badly infested fields it may some
times be advisable to make second
application OF spray week after the
first IN order to get the plants left
from the first application. 1t is claim
ed that cloudy day Is better than D
bright day and that it is better to
spray so dew falls the following day,
one should never spray, however.
when there is dew on the grain.
All the cereals-as wheat, lye, oats,
barley and corn-as well as peas, sug-
ar beets and the grasses, may be-
sprayed with sulphate of copper or
of iron without injury. Potatoes, beans
rape and turnips belong to families
closely related to mustard, SO tha.
they suffer from the spray almost as
much as the weed itself. In some case
serious injury follows the spraying,
in other cases the plants are killed
outright Dean Bailey, penny grass,
shepherds grass, ragweed, dock and
dodder are also killed when sprayed
with copper sulphate solution.
Farmers who co-operated in the va,
rious experiments in spraying WITH
IRON sulphate for mustard in mead
'ws noticed that the meadows turned
black. They thought that permanent
injury had been done, but after few
days the green color reappeared and
all mustard was gone. All grains show
darker color for few days, but NO
permanent injury results. The easiest
way to apply the material Is to use q
traction sprayer, but the nozzlee must