Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-05-15
IRON SULPHATE
Makes a Good and Eff
fective Treatment
For Wild Mustard, kaIc and Char.
Ioek-Rssu,ts Of Long. Continues
Experiments with These Pests at
the Experiment Station at Orono

Experiments with These Pests at
the Experiment Station at 0rono
Orono, Me-, May 1.-THE following
was made public on Wednesday oy
Director Charles D. Woods OF the
Maine Agricultural Experiment sta
ton at the University Of Maine:
For a number Of years the Maine
Agricultural Experiment Station ex-
perimented with the control OF wild
mustard. The summary OF these en-
periments is published in Bulletin 224
Of the Station. This bulletin will be
sent on request to any resident OF
Maine. Because of the importance OF
this pest and the great annual losses
incurred it is deemed wise to again
call attention to the weed and It's
control in this series Of letters.
There are three quite closely re-
lated plants of the mustard family
that are troublesome weeds, particu-
larly in sown crops all over the east
ern part Of the United States and in
Europe, from where they were
brought in as weeds. Charlock or
wild mustard is very abundant in
Maine. The wild radish, jointed or
white charlock, is also very abundant
and a persistent weed. The third,
wild turnip, is not so bad a weed as
the land more than one or two years.
These all belong to the mustard fam
lily and more or less resemble each
other in their appearance. Wild tur-
nip has a smooth leaf and stem. while
both the wild radish and the wild
mustard are roughened with strong
hairs. 1t is not easy to distinguish
between wild radish and wild mustard
when the plants are young. The wild
radish leaves. however. are much
more deeply cut, the divisions be-
tween the lobes of the leaves reaching
nearly to the midrib. With a small
magnifying glass the stem hairs make
1t easier also to distinguish. Those
of the wild mustard generally pro-
trude at right angles from the stem
while those Of the wild radish slant
downward. Wild mustard has a
straight jointless seed pod which
splits open when dry and scatters its
seed at the slightest touch. On wild
radish the seed pod is jointed and
tends to break up in segments when
dry.
A somewhat superficial examina-
ton Of fields indicates that perhaps
IS per cent Of the oat and barley
acreage in Maine is infested with
wild mustard" and that so per cent
is SO badly infested that hand pull
ing cannot be resorted to with profit.
1t has been found absolutely i'm
possible to separate wild radish or
mustard segments or seed from oats
or barley by even the most improved
types of tanning mills. or by floating
in water. AS a result. if these weeds
are permitted to mature and are har-
vested with the grain crop, it means
again seeding the fields with these
weeds, or else purchasing seed grain
from outside distributors. The cost
OF good seed oats free from weed
seeds is we'll known. Many farmers
to be relieved of this burden of buy
ing seed oats, purchase ordinary feed
oats. which as a rule are loaded with
mustard seed. Thus the farmer who
Buys a cheap seed oat encounters
weed seeds in both harvesting his
crop and in seeding his land.
1t is to be hoped that the growers Of
, small grains that are troubled with
'charlock" whether it be wild mus
tard. wild radish or wild turnip) will
Keep this matter in mind and provide
a supply of iron sulphate. The ma
terials must be provided amply in ad-
vance; day or two days delay may
make all the difference in the world
with the results of the application.
The materials are applied with an or
binary spray pump. such as is used
in spraying potatoes A fine nozzle
must be used with a pressure of 60 to
~ pounds to the square inch in order
to develop fine mist. Sprinkling
the plants will not kill them. The
material must fall upon the plants in
the form of fine mist and the sprav
ing should be done after the dew has
dried from the plants, and the best
on a bright day when there is no
WIND. Application must be made be-
fore the plants have developed beyond
the fourth leaf. At this stage the
plant Is so small that it can be COW
cred by an ordinary drinking tum-
bier.
Condensed Directions
Dissolve 100 pounds iron-sllphate
in 20 gallons Of water. or 20 pounds
in so gallons, as is most convenient
Apply at the rate of about 20 gallons
per acre. Use powerful pump and
have the pressure at least 60 pounds.
Use fine nozzle. This should de-
velop fine dustlike mist. A coarse
mist will not do. Spray after the dew
has dried off when the plants are in
the fourth leaf. Choose if possible q
bright, warm day without wind. But
spray when the plants are the proper
size even if the day is not all that
could be desired. If the field is badly
infested or the conditions of the first
spraying were not satisfactory, a sec
ond spraying three days later is de-
sirable. Later go over the field and
pull by hand any plants that NAV
have escaped. This has proved effec-
tive wherever the directions have been
closely followed. The greatest likeli-
hood Of failure is waiting until the
plants are too large.
An Automobile Thief Captured