Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-07-14
Hemp Circular No. s
BY A. H. Wright, Wisconsin Agricul-
turai College, Madison, Wis.,,
.Jnun 40 1917

| OuHc 80, LORS
On account Of the cold, wet spring.
hemp has made a slow growth. AS a
result, II any Canada Thistles were in
the fields they have made a more
rapid growth than has the hemp. In
ordinary seasons IL the land Is thor
oughly worked, and the thistles kept
down until planting, the hemp will
get a good start of the thistles, and so
shade them that they will make no
growth. Since the thistles have got
ten a start on the hemp at this time,
1t will be necessary to retard their
growth in order that the hemp nay
be able to smother them out.
In order to give the hemp an OPP
portunity to compete with the thistles
the Following should be done:
!. Where there are small, scat
tering patches of thistles in the hemp
field. the thistles should be cut off just
at the top of the ground and below
the first leaves. An ordinary weed
spud is about the best tool for this
purpose. If such a spud is not avail
able, a home device can be easily
made by fastening some sort of blade
on the end of a handle. The handle
should be about the same length as
that used for a pitch fork. Any tool
that will not destroy the hemp will
be entirely satisfactory. If there are
- ie" pidh's' tHey can De cut OIL
with an ordinary butcher knife or
jack knife. Where there are a consid-
cradle number Of plants, however,
the spud Is much to be preferred.
z. Where the thistles are present
n large numbers, and we'll distribute
ed over the field, 1t may be out of the
question to attempt to cut them all
BACK as above suggested. In such
cases, material assistance can be given
by going over the field with a COM
NOR hand scythe, n cutting the tops
Of the thistles as they appear above
the hemp. A moving machine with
the sickle bars set high, could be used
Tor this purpose, but the wheels will
crush too many Of the hemp plants
and the hand scythe should be rapid
enough to take care Of the average
acreage.
If the thistles are not cut back. the
hemp will not be able to outgrow
them. The hemp must have an op-
portuntty to get the start, and the
matter of retarding the growth OF the
tn1stles Is very important. We hope
that'an concerned will give Immediate
attention to this matter
In fields which are badly infected
with quack grass and which were
PREPARATION previous to seeding to SUBJ
que the quack, material trouble will
be experienced. The quack, like the
Canada Thistles, has in many cases
gotten ahead of the hemp. If such is
the case, little can be done, and if the
quack is in scattering patches, the
Held should be left to take care of it.
self. Lands badly infected with quack
at this time will not likely produce a
very satisfactory growth Of hemp this
season. 1t should be borne in mind
that In order for hemp to smother out
quack, previous preparation to subdue
the quack Is absolutely necessary. Too
many people have the idea that quack
infested land can be plowed in the
spring M narrowed and seeded to
hemp, and that the hemp will entirely
destroy the quack. In very favorable
seasons, and Under the very best con-
d1tions, quack might be overcome by
such a method, but to insure good re-
suits one year with another, the land
must pc properly prepared in the fall
hemp. ~
In some sections we have noticed
that the hemp is very short, and an
pears to be a very poor stand. Such
fields should not be plowed up, as the
hemp has generally germinated well.
and 1t appears unthrifty because of
the backward season, and as. soon as
t we nave sufficient warm weather, it
VIII thlcken up materially. This re-
commentator, of course, does not
refer to any areas that are drowned
out. Inc hemp crop over the state
generally at this time is very good. It
is not very far advanced, but the ger
was good, and the stands are
very satisfactory, and there is no rea-
son why we cannot expect a good crop
this fall.