The Prescott daily news., 1918-05-15
PREVENT SEEDING IS FIRST PRINCIPLE
 IN WARFARE AGAINST INJURIOUS WEEDS

crop, such as wheat, crimson clover, or vetch 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 and prolific seeding Such crops are consequently boon or a 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 it kills hosts of small weed seedlings which would otherwise make trouble. Farm. CTS 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-i 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 germination 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 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 out 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 mow or cut their fence-row and roadside weeds once or twice a year to prevent their seeding.
 It pays to cut hay crop early, in order to prevent weeds from going to seed as we'll as to secure better quail ity of hay. After grain crop Is re moved, 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 for the young grass.
 ! Hand Work to Prevent Seeding.
 Quite often a few scattered weeds will occur in field. These weeds can be removed by hand with little work, whereas if allowed to mature they would thoroughly seed the land and make trouble for the future. Such weeds may be prevented from seeding either hy hand pulling or by digging them out with mattock, hoe, or spud so far below the surface that new top growth will not spring up and mature seeds. Annual and biennial weeds will make no further appearance If pulled or cut off when they are in full bloom. The spud is tool with long handle and q narrow chisel-like blade at one end. This Is very effective in f disposing of weeds with thick roots, such as bull thistle, mullein. and chic ory. Many farmers have cleaned their farms of corn cookie, wild mustard, and many other weeds by few hours of hand work each year when these | weeds were in full blossom.