Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-05-21

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
If it is not practicable for the farm
er to dispose of his weeds when they
are small he should make every effort
to prevent them from going to seed.
If weeds are attacked when the most
advanced have just reached the full
blossom stage, they can be prevented
from seeding. At this stage, too, the
roots are at their weakest, especially
those of the ANIMALS and biennials,
which are largely exhausted. No
time should be lost, however, in dis
posing of weeds when che full-blossom-
ing stage has been reached, as seeds
will shortly be formed Some weeds,
such as pigweed, produce blossoms
that are very inconspicuous, so that
unless closely watched they will go
to seed before one is aware of it.
TilIage to Control Weeds.
While tillage in its relation to
weeds usually is practiceG for the
benefit of the immediate crop, it also
may serve the purpose of preventing
hosts of weeds from maturing seeds.
Thorough tillage serves the additional
purpose of encouraging the rapid
termination Of weed seeds in the soil
while killing the weed seedlings when
young. In no way is the old adage
"A stitch in time saves nine" better
illustrated than in killing weeds by
tillage soon after they have germinat-
ed rather than delaying the work I'M
til they have attained some size.
The thorough preparation of the
seeded for every crop is an impor-
tant part in the control of weeds.
After blowing, nearly all farmers use
a disk or spring-tOOth or spike-tOoth
harrow to reduce the soil to a
good seedbed condition. Each of
these borrowings destroys hosts of
young weed seedlings. As it is only
the weed seeds within a few inches
of the surface of the soil that ger
inmate and as the borrowings encour-
age the rapid termination of the weed
seeds, thoroughly narrowing at this pc
Rod may be relied upon to kill large
portion of the weeds that will appear
during the season. In fact, it some
times happens that the seedbed has
been so well prepared that after plant
ing a cultivated crop, such as corn,
cotton, or potatoes, but little cultiva-
ton is required.
Kill Weeds by Dragging.
After planting the cultivated crop
the same object. that of attacking the
weeds when young, should be kept in
mind. To this end drag harrow or
a Spike-tOoth harrow is frequently
used, both before and after the crop
comes up. More weeds will be killed
by one dragging at this time than by
several civilizations when the plants
have become larger. The weeder is
also a valuable implement for use at
this stage. BY removing some of the
teeth of this tool it can be used in
corn until the crop is nearly waist
high. Indeed, some excellent crops of
corn have been grown by the use of
the weeder only. Some soils are too
stony or otherwise not suited to the
use of this implement, but where it
can be used the weeder is one of the
most valuable tools on the farm. The
drag harrow and weeder may also be
used to advantage with potatoes, cot
ton, and other cultivated crops. After
the crops have become so large that
these implements can no longer be
used, the tillage is performed with
cultivatOrs. Cultivators that destroy
weeds most effectively should be used.
The best tools for this purpose vary
with the kind of crop and the type and
condition of the soil, so that it is
difficult to lay down exact rules as to
the choice of cultivators. Intercultural
tillage is especially effective in con-
trolling weeds if the crop has been
planted in checkrows so as to permit
the implement to work in two direc-
lions.
If the work of preparation and af-
tertillage has been thorough, few
weeds will come up and go to seed
after cultivation stops. This is es-
pecially true where winter cover
crop, such as wheat, crimson clover,
or yetch follows the cultivated crop.
Cultivated crops. therefore, offer
abundant opportunity to rid 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 ac-
tually stimulated to vigorous growth