The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1929-09-26
PERENNIAL WEEDS, A
REAL MENACE

During the past week, weed con-
troll work has been started In the
Prosser and Benton City commune
tiles. Visits to farms in these two
communities have convinced the
county agent that we have much
more of a problem on perennial
weed control than had been antic-
mated from the weed patches
which had come to our attention
previously. We are finding that
farmers have perennial weeds on
their places and do not realize it,
some of these weeds being of a
very Serious nature as far as rapid
spread is concerned. Star thistle,
for instance, spreads very rapidly
by cultivation both from root stalks
and seed and we have found places
where this weed has spread over
quite a large area, the farmer not
realizing that he had a serious
weed pest. In some instances, the
same thing is true Of the morning
glory. Most people have been fam
iliar enough with Canada thistle
in some other section where they
have lived to watch this carefully.
Siberian mustard is another weed,
however, with which we find few
people familiar with it and which
spreads very rapidly by both seed
and root stalk. Steps are going to
he taken in the near future to pre-
pare plants so that they may be
shown to farmers at group meet
ing and Grange meetings and in
form just as what large a percent
age Of farmers as possible as to
the identity of these weeds.
We find that quite number of
people are rather backward about
treating weeds this late in the sea-
son but we have just received word
from the manager of the Chapman
Chemical company at Boise, who
are the manufacturers of Calcium
Chlorate which we are using in
this county, saying that October is
very good month in which to
treat these perennial weeds. The
application of the chemical at this
time insures its being kept in soils
a little more time than would be
the case If the application were
made during the warm summer
months, and in this way the chem
ical continues its action over a
longer period of time.
After studying the two plots at
Benton City treated last year, we
have come to the opinion that late
treatment would be much more
satisfactory in this county where
we have such hot, dry weather,
until well into September. 1t would
seem that the action of the chem
ical during the summer treatment
is largely rapid drying Of the
leaf and the consequent holding of
the chemical within the leaf area.
Experience has shown that the
chemical applied during a cool per-
iod an despecially followed by a
light rain, within the next day or
two, gives much better results
than if applied during hot sunny
weather. We believe September and
October treatment would give a
much better result in this county
than earlied treatments. One does
not need to worry about the seed
lings if a good job of spraying the
plants is done.
From study of all work done
on weed control in the past in this
county, we would like to make the
following recommendations. Treat
the patch with three pounds Of
chemical per square rod; do not
disturb the patch in any way fol-
lowing the treatment until at least
midsummer Of the next year; ar
range to irrigate around the patch
wherever possible; arrange to
have a thrifty growth Of the weed
on the patch at the time Of treat
ment but this should not be a
heavy growth in the sense that the
growth will be from six inches to
a foot in depth. It is better to clip
the weed close to the ground and
allow it to spread out with new
leaf surface covering as much Of
the ground as possible and yet not
having any depth to 1t. This kind
OF a surface exposes q large
amount of leaf to the chemical
and when troofod lafa ahou1d Game