KAINIT VERSUS THISTLES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1858, 18 September 1913, Page 10

KAINIT VERSUS THISTLES.

l''or many 'years, writes the manager of a big-estate in Chodan, I observed that'when I'gavotho meadows a dress-: ing of kainit the thistles, which wero a groat nuisance in some parts of tho fields, showed symptoms'of fniling vigour, and on ono occasion, when applying tho manure, a big lot of kainit fell on a thistle growing on the edge of a meadow. Two days later' ; when I visited the spot, tho thistle, vigorous before, ,was halt dead, which could bo attributed to nothing else than the effect of ,tho potash salt.

From noticing this fact, I was induced to try the effect of applying 3 good pinch", of kainit to tho other thistles in the field, with a result that was quite surprising, bccause in a week's time not only tho leaves of tho weeds, but also the roots, wero decaying. . • , The question then was, Would tho effect be permanent? So the field was carefully watched tho following seasons. 'No more thistles appeared, but in their place there was thick grass. After this- thistles of all kinds wero strewn 'with kainit, and 24 hours after the application began to wither, and in a weok's-time wero quite destroyed. ■ Tho'destruction-' of thistles in this v-ay seems so simple and effective that it is worth trying. The time for the operation is when tho weeds begin to grow in-file spring, and, after tho first cut of tho grass, the kainit should bo, Applied to tlio ceiitre of tho'leaves. A broadcast application is not so effective, although when broadcastod over tho meadow in the autumn it improves the herbage; but to bo cfl'ectivo against thistles it must bo applied, as abovementioned,, in. the spring on each plant, or after the first cutting, whin the weeds begijv to grow again.