Imperial Valley press., 1924-11-12
HARRICAN SOUNDS WARNING OF
DANGER TO VALLEY FROM NOXLOUS.
RAPIDLY SPREADING CANIEL'S THORN

Camel s Thorn is n new weed pest
/ which has been introduced into Cal
iforni3 in the Coachella and Imper-
ial Valleys, and has proved there a
serious menace to the agricultural
! and horticultural intcrests, accord
ing to b. A. n9rigan| horticultural
commissioners. The plant is cover
ed with thorns frobl one to two
inches in length, tinfed with needle,
like points which are strong enough
to pierce shoc-eatlter, but are byfttle
and break off readily WIFI en-
beded in the flesh. TH mature
plants grow fE6m. one .S6 three feet
IN helght, an1 1prodyot thousands of
seeds, whichF ARE %ery hard, and
probably c9pabfe of living many
years in sol N6germinated. Camel's
thorn has the most rapidly spread
ing root system of any weed pest
yet known in California, exceeding
IN tins respect even morning glory
and johnson grass. One patch was
noted to have spread from the roots
along a distance of 80 feet into un-
: cultivated ground in the 12 months
from October 1923 to October 1924.
The actual length which a single
root will travel underground has
never been determined, but roots
have been followed for more than
40 feet without finding the end.
The depth at which the lateral
roots are found is usually about 15
to lS inches, below the reach of
ordinary cultural implements. In
addition to these lateral roots, deep
vertical roots are formed at inter
walls. Such roots have been follow
ed to a depth of six feet without
finding the end. AS the roots spread
so rapidly and as plants are formed
at intervals of three or four feet
along this root, each plant consti-
tuting Il center for the formation of
new running roots, this weed rapidly
takes complete possession of the soil
wherever it has become established.
800 Acres Infested
There are now approximately 800
acres in the two valleys known to
be infested. Wherever Camel s
thorn has become established it has
been necessary to abandon the land
until the weed can be eradicated.
1t has been necessary to abandon
date paintings in two cases, and
vineyard in another case. In addi-
ton, land that was previously used
the parade, which was to state at
for cotton, melons, and other annual
crops has been abandoned and can
not be used for any purpose.
Camel s thorn is native to the
date producing sections of North
Africa, and it is significant that it
is first found in America i'll the
Ndate producing sections, although
direct information as to the time
and manner of it's introduction is
wanting. When first discovered,
less than ten years ago, only q small
patch was found, and noted for its
profusion of salmon-pink blossoms,
curious bumped chocolate-brown
pods, and thorny habit. In a few
years it had spread IN the vicinity
of the original infestation until it
now covers about % acres. 1t be-
gan to attract attention in Imperial
Valley about four years ago when
it invaded cultivated land and caus-
ed alarm because of its rapid spread
and noxiOus character. Farmers of
Imperial Valley are spending thous-
ands of dollars III an effort to rid
their land of this pest. The infes
tations in the Coachella Valley,
however, occur on land which has
been abandoned. 1t thus becomes
matter of more than local concern
that this pest be destroyed.
Riverside County Alarmed
The county of Riverside in the
\past year has spent approximately
$4,000 in attempts to handle this in
festation under the procedure pre-
scribed by the political code for the
abatement of nuisances. The at
tempts have not been successful in
even checking the spread of the
weed, becuase of cumbersome pro-
cedure which has made it impossible
to achieve continuity in the work,
which is absolutely essential if eradi
cation is to be accomplished. In ad-
dition, the county is now faced with
the. probability of being forced vir-
tually to conficate the land in order
to follow out the provisions of the
law.
If the weed is left to take its own
course, the present infestations will
undoubtedly serve as Il center of
infestation which will, in the course
of time, spread oyer the greater part
of the states agricultural area, for
there is no reason to suppose that it
will not grow equally well in the
Sacramento and San Joaquin Val
leys and other fertile sections of
California. Puncture vine, native
of the same territory as the Camel s
thorn 10 years ago was confined to
two or three small areas in this
State, and could easily have been