Evening star., 1936-11-15
Flame Is Strong in Minds OF
10000 or More Who Are
Enlisted for the Period OF
Warfare Along the
Shore.

Then home to relate your days ex.
periences to your family.
Although the wild celery, eelgrass
and other duck feed supplies of the
Potomac marshes are in better general
condition than during the last two
year,, the water caltrop or Chinese
lily. a vicious invader from Eurasia,
has established itself as the arch foe
of duck hunting and annually Is ex-
tending its Potomac domain. This
rank-growing pest from abroad de-
spoils duck-hunting by smothering
out the plant species upon which the
ducks customarily feed. It blankets
the soil and water where it grows and
completely shuts of the sunlight. Its
infestation Of the Potomac now covers
more than 1000 acres Of cows, creek
mouths and marshes on both sides OF
the river from the District line down
as far as brackish water. Those are
the sites where the best duck feed
usually Is available, and where tbs
winged honkers are won't to congregate.
The growth of water caltrop Is par
ticularly dense and extensive near
Fort Washington.
The initial point Of infestation was
Oxon Greek near Alexandria, where
the plant immigrant was first dis.
covered and identified In 1920. Thers
are several different theories as TO how
this foreign plant species was intro.
duced to the Potomac River. One Ii
that q traveller, returning from China,
brought along some Of the water cal.
trop seed, which he gave to Wash.
ington duck hunter. The sportsman.
unfamiliar with the obnoxious charac-
ter Of this plant, tossed the seeds along
the shore of his Potomac ducking
blinds, which facilitated establish
ment and rapid spread Of the pest.
Another belief is that the river was
invaded by plant material from the
Mall near the Agricultural Depart.
ment, where water caltrop was for
merly grown in fish ponds as an
aquatic decoration. 1t is presumed
that some Of the seeds were washed
from the Mall TO the Potomac during
a food.
A third theory Is to the effect that
seeds were tossed overheard in debris
from some foreign steamship which
piled Chesapeake Bay. The seeds were
washed from the bay into the Potomac,
floated almost to Alexndria and there
terminated. as the Chinese lily is dis
tinctly q fresh-water plant.
TWO years ago Reaches Run, near
Alexandria, was badly overrun
with water caltrop. The task of pull
ing the aquatic pests by hand was
delegated to a squad of "a boys from
O c. C. G. camp as that method OF
control, although 1aborious, is effective.
The work was practically completed
except for few stray plants when
the workers for some unexplained rea.
son were moved to another Job.
Enough water caltrop plants were left
30 that eventually Reaches Run again
will be blanketed In this prolicfic.
rank-growing vegetation. Some Of the
individual plants were II feet long
and bore nine rosettes-fioating parts
Of the plant including both leaves an
fruit or seed.
The experts Of United States E
logical Survey Of the Department G.
in cooperation with the
National Park Service have surveyed
the water caltrop infestation Of the
Potomac and have experimental In
Its eradication. Two chemicals Of the
10 tested proved efhcient in killing the
plants II applied directly after the peak
of the Towering seed. These chemicals
Continued on Second Page.)