Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-22
Weeds and Their Eradication

80" III euo RrOWSu OF crop plant.
Keep the weeds from seeding.
xiii the weeds" is a slogan which is
being adopted on more and more Wis.
consin farms. OF course, on some of
our farms weeds have taken possession
OF the fields; on others, they fight with
the crops for existence; and on others.
the crops have things much to them
selves.
WHY WEEDS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED
TO SEED.
l. Because they reduce crop Yields
by using moisture and plant food which
crops should have. Most weeds use
more moisture than do crops because
they grow larger and have greater leaf
surface. They stand drought better
and in dry seasons may entirely kill the
crop.
2. Because they shade, crowd, and
dwarf grain crops, they help to keep
alive many plant diseases and ailments.
In weedy field, the plants stay wet
longer in the morning and rusts and
smuts have q better chance to grow.
They also suck life from crop plants, as
in the case of dodder on clover and
broom rape on hemp.
3. Because they increase the cost of
By causing extra wear and
tear on teams and machinery. BY twin
ing about the corn and grain, choking
the binder, causing bundles to stick to-
gether, and making shocking difficult,
weeds make themselves very trouble
some and costly.
A. Because they lower the selling
prices of farm products. Weeds cause
dockage on the grain market, ipjure
hay, give offensive favors to dairy
products where cattle are pastured in
fields infested with weeds with strong
odors, and injure wool and furs.
5. Because they reduce the net profit
on the farm by poisoning live stock
poisonous weeds are numerous), by
payment OF taxes for weed
control, and by requiring an immense
amount of labor to help In their control.
6. Because they lower the selling
price Of farms. No farmer will pay the
best price for weed-infested land.
KEEP WEEDS FROM SEEDING.
Aunuals, plants which live but one
year, reproduce themselves by seeds
only and 1t is important to keep them
from going to seed. Any method which
will accomplish this will eventually
eradicate them. Rsgweed, foxtail or
pigeon grasses, wild mustard, Russian
thistle, red root, and corn cookie are
examples. They are found in cultivated
fields, in yards, along fences, and in
grain fields after harvest.
Biennials, plants which live two years,
produce only leaves and roots the first
year and a flower stalk and seeds the
second. Like ANIMALS, they can be
killed by preventing seeding. Usually
they are found growing in meadows,
pastures, and out-of.the-wsy places, and,
on the whole, are easily controlled.
Burdock, wild lettuce, bull thistle. mul-
len, cheat, wild parsnip and wild carrot
are prominent examples.
Perennials, the roots of which live for
more than two, often many years, have
stalks that come up from the root and
seed is often produced each year. There
are some perennisls which never pro-
duce seed and spread only by the roots
or portions of the roots. Though it is
important to prevent perennials from
seeding, they cannot be eradicated by
seed bearing only. 1t is
necessary to kill the underground parts.
Quack grass, Canada thistles, wild morn
ing glory, ox-eye daisy, snapdragon or
common milkweed and
perennial SOW thistle are our worst per-
ennials.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WEEDS SEED.
Annusls which escape the cultivstor
in crops like corn, potatoes and sugar
beets usually grow into splendid spec
linens of their kind. Such plants bear
an almost unbelievable number OF seeds.
These amazing figures are found BY
actual count; rsgweed, $4,000; pigeon
grass. 142, $50; wild mustard, 14S,OOO;
COS, 800; bsrnysrd grass,
| .292 700; and tumbleweed, $780, $50
seeds to the plant. Their seeds will also
lie buried in the soil unhsrmed for years
Only very few weed seeds will decay
in less than three years. Seeds OF wiid
common rsgweed and penny
cress which have been buried for ten
years or more will germinate and grow
when brought to the warmth and light
bs plowipg or cultivation. Seeds OF
sweet clover which have been buried "A
vears and Indian msllow buried for %
Years have been known to sprout ana
produce plants when turned to the sur
face. A..
Bienpisls resemble ANIMALS In the
above respects but bear fewer seeds to
the plant. Examples are rosdsi1e
thistle, 15,196; hurdock, HISS; WHO
lettuce, 242, ,925; and mullen, l,24s'o4o.
They depend wholly upon seeds ior
therefore, the importance
of killing them before seeding is plain.
Perennials bear less seed to the plant
than either ANIMALS or biennials. While
IL h necessary to kill the roots to eradi-
cate the plants, and while some OF them,
like Canada thistle, perennial 30"
thistle, wild morning glory, quack grass
and Others, spread by their underground
parts. IL is also necessary to keep tnem
from bearing seed. This Is shown oy
the fact that the common milkweed
bears 1O,302; dandelion, 14.079; snap
dragon, 16. .966; common plantain' o.
400; buckhorn, 117,7OO; yellow aocA'
las. 500; and ysrrow, 577.6OO seeos so
each we'll ll-developed plant!
HOW TO PREVENT WEEDS FROM SEEDING
/. By rotating the crops.
For the dairy farmer, the following
rotation is Q good one: first year, corr
in which no weeds 60 to seed secono
wear. oats or barley, seeding at the same
time to clover and timothy using 9
mounds of red clover and o pounds
Of timothy seed to the acre; third
year. two crops of clover hay OF
one crop of Lay and one OF SEED
fourth wear, Q crop Of timothy nay Oh
nasture. In the fall of the fourth year,
manure the sod and plow ready for corr
the next spring. II the corn 10 keP'
clean this rotation will keep annuals
from going to seed.
Nv carefully plowing, cultivatinG
and narrowing fields before seeding. :,
Nv the time the soil is ready to wor.
., the spring, millions OF young seec
10 nI.nrs . have begun to grow. Careful
rnitivation with Q disk or spring.tooen
Ssrrov will kill them. The cultivation
however, brings more weed seeds mp
uUS n the weather 10 warm, In "a hour!
| sno,her crop will have started. A weeo
LilIsd At this time means one weed zee.
~ the Grain or corn crop. AT no um'
a. shsir lives can weeds be killed more
"..,Iv than when they first begin q
s.o= ~ A little more time and labor thar
r.uallv rive TO tho preparetiol