Morris tribune., 1921-06-03
KILL QUACK GRASS,
FARMERS ENEMY
Now is the Time to Get Rid of the
Pest; Skin Off the
Sod

The following article on killing
quack grass, which appeared in the
April issue of the Farm Journal will
be of interest to the farmers of this
community. 1t was written by DR..
w. ]. Spillman for the Sick Farms
Department of the Farm Journal.
It reads as follows:
Up New England way, farmers call
this pest Witch-grass. TWitch-grass
and quick-dress are other names
sometimes heard. But under all dis
guises it is nothing but our old en-
emy. Quack-grass is the worst weed
with which farmers in the two north
ern tiers of states have to contend.
Our folks will find on this page a
simple method for the complete era
dication Of this bad pest.
Quack-grass produces stems under
ground, as we'll as above ground.
These underground stems have joints
in them, with bud at each joint,
just as do the stems above ground.
And it is the underground stems that
make quack-grass a bad weed. Every
Uuu Oh SUCH SISlllS Cdll IDIO" up a
new plant Every time one of these
underground stems is broken with
pIow or cuItivator, you have new
plant beginning from the part brok-
en- off
If you dig into a quack-grass sod
in early spring, you will find great
numbers of underground stems. At
the approach of warm weather some
of the buds on these stems begin to
grow; and they grow straight up to
the surface. There they throw out
ring Of real roots and form a crown
from which lot of leaves and stems
grow. But at this time of the year
all the stems that come out Of
crown grow upward; and no new un-
derground stems are formed until the
plant begins to blossom.
Then while the plant is in bloom,
a new crop of underground stems be-
gins to grow. All these stems come
out of the crown, just as the stems
that grow upright, and never from
any other part of the plant. If the
grass is cut for hay at exactly this
time, the growth of underground
stems is completely stopped for few
weeks. The plant can not produce
underground growth without a lot
of leaves up in the sunlight; and if
the plant has been cut while in
bloom, it Immediately begins to
throw all it's energy into the produc-
tion of new leaves and stems above
ground. This fact is very important,
as we shall soon see.
1t is also of very great Importance
that, by the time the plant bios
SONS, the old underground stems
have done their life-work, which was
to throw up new growth to the sur
face of the soil. They are through;
and will gradually die during the
latter part of the summer. You do
not need to pay any attention to
them.
Some farmers make the mistake of
trying to kill the underground stems
early in the season. This is almost
a useless task, for at that time of the
year every joint of these under
ground stems can make a new plant.
But after the plants have reached
the blooming stage, the old under
ground stems have finished their
work. They do not need killing
then, for they are already beginning
to die. So don't try to kill the old
underground stems of quack-grass.
They can't be killed before midsum-
mer, and after that they die any
how.
In order to tell when quack is in
bloom, watch it carefully till you see
the blossoms open, and the anthers
hanging out of the flowers on slender
threads. This will be about two or
three weeks after the grass heads out.
When the earliest plants begin to
bloom, get out the mower and go to
work.
Suppose now we let the grass grow