The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1918-05-16

crop, such as wheat, crimson clover,
or vetch follows the cultivated crop.
Cultivated crops, therefore, offer
abundant opportunity to rid a farm
Of weeds. If properly handled, they
are rightly termed cleaning crops"
On the other hand, where these crops
are not well cultivated, weeds are &C
tually stimulated to vigorous growth
and prolific seeding. Such crops are
consequently boon or menace, de-
pending upon how they are handled.
Besides the usual cultivated crops,
small-grain crops can also sometimes
be cultivated to advantage in the
spring with spike-tooth harrow or
weeder. This does not permanently
injure the young crop, and 1t kills
hosts of small weed seedlings which
would otherwise make trouble. Farm
ers in the upper Columbia river basin
are able to control wild mustard by
repeatedly narrowing fall-sown wheat
in the spring; without this narrowing
the mustard would be very trouble
some.
After the small-grain crop is har-
vested 1t is often good practice In the
Northern states to harrow or disk the
stubble to encourage the, termination
of the weed seeds that are at or near
the soil surface. The seedlings are
killed by the fall blowing or by cold
weather. Some weeds, such as rag
weed and foxtail, start to mature seeds
soon after harvest, so that care must
| be taken to turn the plants under be-
fore the seeds approach maturity.
Flowing without the preliminary disk
ing would turn under millions Of weed
seeds to make trouble In future years.
Moving to Prevent Seeding.
Moving Is another way Of prevent
ing weeds from going to seed. AS n
rule, 1t Is best to NOW when weeds
have reached the full-bloom stage.
Many farmers NOW their pastures
once or twice each year and as re-
suit have gradually driven oft the
weeds and thickened the grass stand.
When there are patches in grain fields
thick with weeds, 1t will pay to cut
them, grain and all, before the weeds
start to go to seed. Most careful
farmers NOW or cut their fence-row
and roadside weeds once or twice a
year to prevent their seeding.
1t pays to cut hay crop early, in
order to prevent weeds from going to
seed as well as to secure better quail,
ity of hay. After grain crop Is re-
moved, a crop Of weeds, such as rag
weed or foxtail, usually follows, which
If not disturbed, not only reseeds the
land for further crops Of weeds, but
may do much damage to young seed
ing of clover or grass. Moving these
weeds will prevent most Of them from
going to seed, and, further, the clip
pings will be Of value as a mulch fol
the young grass.
Hand Work to Prevent Seeding.
Quite often u few scattered weeds
; will occur in field. These weeds
can he removed by hand with little
work, whereas If allowed to mature
, they would thoroughly seed the LIANT
and make trouble for the future. Sucl
weeds may be prevented from seeding
, either by hand pulling or by digging
, them out with a mattock, hoe, or sput
. SO far below the surface that new tol
r growth will not spring up and matur
I seeds. Annual and biennial weed
3 will make no further appearance 1
, pulled or cut off when they are in full
Y bloom. The spud is a tool with lon
handle and a narrow chisel-like blad,
? at one end. This Is very effective Il
disposing of weeds with thick roots
8 such as bull thistle, mullen, and chic
0 DRY. Many farmers have cleaned thei
] farms of corn cookie, wild mustard
: and many other weeds by few hour
4 of hand work each year when thes
t weeds were In full blossom.