Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-06-02
the other which was free of weeds
They Reduce the Price OF Grains.

The actual loss from dockage in
the states of Minnesota and North Da-
kota ia almost unbelievable. Grain in
spectors are maintained at the prtnci-
pal grain markets to do the grading.
II the grain marketed at Duluth were
pounds per bushel, 1t would mean
that from the crop marketed from
Minnesota alone, there would be an
equivalent loss of over three million
bushels Of wheat. which at $1.OO per
bushel would amount to 100000 a
year.
At the local elevators in this region
there are many samples delivered
which run VI to practically 500 OF
wild oats. mustard. etc. The farmer
who produces these avs for the
market and gets absolutely nothing
for them.
Dockage at many Of the grain re-
ceiving points of the northwest is so
heavy that ]. F. Merrill, secretary Of
the Chicago Board of Trade. says that
what the people Of the northwest
need is not government inspectors,
but tanning mills"
Weeds Rob the Soil.
A weedy farm, bought at any price.
would be expensive. Land must re-
turn interest on the investment n
it can do this only when it produces
in accordance with its value. If only
Is bushels Of wheat are produced per
acre, when there should be 80. the
land does not return interest on the
investment, and this Is the truth to-
day in many cases in the northwest.
| That is, land that when new and free
of weeds. produced Is to 80 bushels
to the acre, and could be bought at
Is to 20 dollars per acre, today is
valued at $40 to $50 per acre, and
will produce only 10 to is bushels of
wheat per acre.
II it costs s16 to $40 per acre. Is it
doubtless will in many cases. to get
rid Of thistles and quack grass, and
taking into account the disagreeable-
| ness of this kind Of work, buyers
T, would not be induced to take such
land. eel al such reductions. when
they could buy land far enough away
from such weed infested acres as not
to be bothered.
A weedy farm not only lowers the
value of its land, but all the land in
the neighborhood.
Weeds Give an Appearance OF Shift
~lessness.
1t may be that appearance is Of
minor Importance, Nat a mans self
I respect, or a community's self-respect,
is not a small matter. No mar who
drives into his yard and unhitches in
a patch of quack grass, sow thistle
and mustard, can keep his or the
community's respect, or a good opin-
ion Of himself.
The influence Of the worthless
patches of weeds on his farm MAJ
cause him to go into the house with
muddy boots, or to be niggardly tc
his wife. surly to his children, lie tc
his neighbor, and to cheat in a trade
and generally neglect his duty as
citizen of the community. Weeds ar.
demoralizing as we'll as destructive
Aside from the economical value Their,
is a wonderful moral influence in {
clean. well-kept farm. producing al
that the best effort can make it yield
Why is u Weed a Weed?
A weed Is a plant out Of place, ant
is troublesome because it adapts itsel
to all conditions. 1t spreads rapidly
is hard to control and works on tn,
job all the time. Weeds are quite Of
ten spoken of as undesirable plan
citizens" This means h many valu
able plants may become weeds wher
they get out of place. For ~instanc,
alfalfa in this region may be quit
frequently ruined by blue grass com
/ AiS III oiN AAAA ouS ~
alfalfa.
!, However, as a general thing VI
speak Of a weed as being a plant tina
is practically useless. A hot hous'
plant is not likely to become a menac
In the grain fields. It is too tender ant
will not stand the conditions, which
it would encounter in such places, blu
the plant which has endured for thou
, sands OF years, which has found it
way from the old world by being car
, ried across the ocean, and growing
in New England, and gradually ad
, vancing westward with civilization
changing with the various condition
they meet, enduring the hot sun
) drought, and cold winters, will prov
too much for the cultivated plants.
! To such a weed we ,doff u hats
, Why? Because it is an enemy tina
commands respect. 1t Is a conqueror
1t has fought many bitter fights witt
frost, rain and. sun, battles with birds
j stock and more battles with othe
vegetation, Inc always come off con
queror. We must credit it with perse