Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-03-29
WEEDS BECOMING
MENACE IN STATE
CONCERTED ACTION NECESSARY
TO PREVENT DAMAGE, SAYS
AGRONOMIST
Last Session of Legislature Passed Law
Which Provides Farmers With In
strument to Make United Attack on
Threat to Production.

Passage of the state weed law
at the last session of the Montana
legislature gives farmers an in
strument for making a united at
tack on weeds which are one of the
most serious threats to the states
agriculture, says Ralph d. Mercer,
extension agrOnomist at Montana
State college.
Unless concerted action is taken
soon weeds threaten to choke that
states productive lands and the long
er the task is postponed the more
difficult and expensive it will be,
Mercer said. While weeds are not as
spectacular in causing damage as dust
storms and insect invasions, neverthe-
less, they cause economic losses that
run into the billions annually in the
United States.
The state weed law designates five
OF the worst perennial weeds found in
the state and it empowers the board
OF county commissioners to designate
any other perennial weed which is
particular nuisance in the county
May Set Up Districts
Under this law weed control districts
may be set up embracing either Ger
tain areas in a county or an entire
county. To do this requires a petition
signed by Is percent of the freeholders
OF the proposed district, exclusive of
any incorporated town or city within
the district, and the written consent
of the landowners owning 81 percent
of the agricultural land within the
district; The petition must also set
forth the boundaries of the proposed
district.
Once a district is set UP, a board of
three supervisors is appointed to take
charge OF the control program in the
county. weed commissioner appoint
ed by the supervisors has charge of
the work in all districts and control
crews with foreman are responsible to
the weed commissioner for the control
work.
The next step is to make contracts
with landowners or resident agents for
control work on individual farms.
There are three kinds of contracts.
Mercer explained. Under one the land
owner agrees to carry out his own pro-
gram; under the second he turns all
the control work over to the district
crew and two-thirds of the cost is
charged against the land, and under
the third form the farmer does all the
WORK as a part of his regular farm
operations.
County May Levy Tax
Under the state weed law the county
may transfer money from the general
iund or make levy up to one mill on
biic tOtdl CdxaDle valuation of the
county to pay for the weed control
work
The big advantage of CARRYING on
a campaign under the state weed law
Is that unified program can be car
ried out over long period of time.
Mercer said. Sporadic and spotted con-
troll work is of little value and to be
effective a campaign must not only
cover a wide area but provide for a
follow-up patrol program to guard
against the return of weed infestation.
Methods emphasized by the extern
sion service in the control of weeds
include the use of grass pasture mix
lures, clean cultivation, the use of
clean seed, and crop rotations for the
large areas. Chemicals are recommends
ed only for small patches and such
inaccessible spots as ditch banks and
roadsides.
A few counties have put control
programs into operation under the dis
trict law, but more general use must
be made of this law before control
work will become effective over the
state as whole, Mercer said, because
weeds are serious problem in every
county.