The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1922-06-13

troublesome uunnililea % the south
and enai IN aud about Tom Green.
Concho, and Mccullough counties
and south and west In the Rio
Grando and pccos valleys. IN gen.
ernl The buowccd il common and
troublesome weed over that portion
Of West Texas lying on the west
81 the tooth meridian.
The blucwccd is native 90 this
section and grows more or less I'M
observed IN the pastures until the
land IA soddcd and put under culti-
vation. when II rapidly spreads and
comes into prominence. Cultivated
fields which have been poorly farm
I'd and become thickly set with blue
weeds, II left 10 20 back 20 grass,
will, In few years, be almost COM
pletely occupied by Rrass, the blue
weed having been crowded out and
rendered quite inconspicuous In the
sod again
While this weed normally seems
10 prefer the low ground and is
found usually In the sinks" or
shallow lake beds, and on their mar
gins growing on soil Of the Randall
Clay series, ~ growth b. By no
means confined 10 soil ~ this type
nor 20 low spots or lake beds u
thrivcs and may be found growing
IN sandy loan soils as well NJ on
the more heavy phases, but not ~.
ualiy on very light on deep sand.
when present q h. usually on the
best land and "a seldom found On
shallow soil o. Chalky Or Rravelly
areas.
Habits Of Growth and Reproduction
Being q perennial the blueNeed
propagaies itself hy iis underground
roots, which live over from year
70 year, and h also produces seed
The root system consists 81 both
running rootsialks and feeder roots.
The running, or propagatinR roots
are more or less horizontal and are
found M n somewhat shallow depth
while The feeder roots penetrate
the ground 10 % greater depth. The
soil rs filled with network Of
roots and r00ttalke, on each N
which are borne numerous mail
fibrous roots u b. largely from
these running roots that the blue
weed spreads ard reproduces itself
and this point must Do borne iu
mind when ifs eradication ia at
tempted Every few inches at r.
regular intervals on these under
ground stems buds are formed
from which now plants grow and
find their way 10 the surface 81
the ground, whore they grow end
produce seed and store up energy
and food whereby the running roOtf
are able 90 further extend them
selves and form new plants When
these plants are cot of new stems
and leaves are put out Immediately
below whore they were cut OF and
growth b resumed
IT, cultivated land The rost up.
pears mostly boo patches Vhich have
somewhat r0undiHh form, are
quite regular In outline, and vary
lu eize from small. fraction IF
an acre tO several acres II does
not surend very rapidly hui 81 more
inclined 90 concentrate ts eff0ris
boz making dense growth, crowd.
ing Out cultivated plants end other
vegetation There Dr. O common
opinion that the b.uowced poison
The land II 81 not known thaf any
toxic substance is given otf hy this
weed The failure ~ crop growth
IN such areas is due for the most
part 90 this weeds rohbing The
crop Of available soil moisture u
years Of abundant rainfall fair crop
yields are made from infested areas
while IN dry seasons little or no
crop Weld b. produced, but thr blue
weed continues 20 thrive
IN the native pasture the blue
weed is necessarily shallow rooted
plant 30 take advantage Of the mois-
ture in the top soil IN competition
with other weeds and the native
grass. That II thrives with cll-
ture b. shown By ~ behavior 30
cultivated lands, only moderately
well titled where y has persisted
for years and is apparently getting
thicker and spreading ~ many ~
cases When the land b. put into
cultivation and moisture penctrateH
to greater depths Il sends ~ roots
down deeply, obtaining firmer
hold and Is able 10 more stubborn
~ resist efforts 90 eradicate n
The best time 60 combat b.,
therefore, il would seem. IL wner
new land IL first put into cultya.
ton and before the weed has had
an opportunity 90 esabligh such
deep root system II these areas
are thoroughly plowed and cutiya.
ted from the time the sod is first
broken. eradication may be much
more quickly and economically ac-
cOmplished
One Of the first plants 90 PVT
out growth IN the spring Or The
blueweed. II sometimes appear 81
early AZ January or February Il
grows throughout the summer. aud
forms seed heads IN June and Jlly,
and maturing them IN August or
September The tops de with tho
first killing frost in the fan.
a large crop Of seed Be- naturcd
but very fortunately the seed are
Of extremely low viabiliiy. The
writer has had this pest under Close
observation for the past five 1r aT
years and has not yet seen % nat
urally propagate seeding from its
seed II IL reproduces at all from
seed II is certainly only TO o very