CONTROLLING WEEDS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 71, 18 December 1918, Page 8

CONTROLLING WEEDS

; :.'.: HINTS'.OK' DESTRUCTION. • j In' the course ' of an article entitled pints on Weed Control" in the Noveniier number of the Journal of Agricul-ure'-'of'-Victbria,■ Jtr. H. W. Davey, r.E.S.j says:—ln. spito of all that has ■een>, written and spoken as to the great jsseY suffered by agriculturists through reeds, little is done to eradicate them. • Weed- seeds are often, introduced .as mpurities among other seeds, and hrough carelessness these are sown with he good seed, and so a weed is introduced b_ land, previously free from that parti■ular plant. '■' Seeds aro also spread in nany other ways, the chief agencies irobably being travelling stock, birds, rrigution water, trucks in which stock iave been carried, stable manure, chofj ind hay, and thrashing-machines, the fitter being the most likely to carry reed seeds from ono farm to another. i To enable one to successfully cope with f weed a knowledge of its life period ind habits is necessary, inasmuch, for nstance, as while an anriial plant may )'o eradicated by not allowing it to seed, i perennial plant cannot be got rid of in his way. I Cultivation is a great factor in the ] Control of most weeds, and especially so n the oaee of annuals. j In fallowing land, we have a means of iUing weeds and their seeds, as can ie seen by the millions of tiny plants hat are destroyed every time tho culti;ator breaks afresh the crust of the oil. These seedlings die on exposure to un or wind, and each fresh cultivation f the soil brings more seeds within the nfluence of warmth and air, thus induchg germination', and further cultivation } then necessarv to destroy these late growths. On tlio other hand, if cullijation be _ not carefully carried out it iiay spread such plants as Canadian histle and St. John's wort, for small )iece3 of the roots of such weeds are iach capnble of formii-.g new plants, and he harrows, in dragging these about, iiay easily start a fresh patch. Seeds deeply buried often remain dorfiant for very long periods, so that deep ploughing sometimes buries many seeds po deeply in the ground for genninaion to take place immediately, but they rill germinate when subsequent ploughngs bring them to, or near, Ihe surface. ' Cultivation for the suppression of perennial weeds niust bo (frequent 'nough to stop the formal ion of leaves, hus preventing the elaboration of crude ap sent up by the roots, and then Ihe )lant will be gradually .suffocated ami lie... Ploughing should be of varying lepths, so that all the roots may |ju jronght to the surface to enable wind * eun to dry them out. One of the chief means of controlling veede, especially perennials, i« lo stop ,he development of seeds. This niny Iβ achieved in ninny ways, such as bv nowing the plants, 'hand-pulljiig, or ]>y ligging them out. Heavy stocking with heep or goats when the plants are •oung is often effective. The planting if strong-growing cropij to smothier feeds has also proved useful. Where its'found impracticable to employ these aethods, chemicals can be used effecively to destroy nil growth above the ;roiind. Small patches of very persistsnt weeds can be killed by covering them rith heavy mulchings of straw, sheets if'bark, sheets of heavy paper, or, in 'act, any material that will exclude all light from them, it; being impossible 'or any plant containing chlorophyll in te leaves to exist in total darkness, ! The best time to attack weeds by nowing them is just before they come ntofull bloom. This is especially so yitb, anaualß and biennials, as at this

time their roots are more or less exhausted, their reserves having been fully drawn upon to enable them to reach the flowering period. ' In the case of perennials this oklii'.iistion is not so pronounced; slill the cheek administered by destroying all top growth at thin'stage, either by mowing or by the application of. clieiiiicalu, is severe, particularly soj when the latter means are'adopted. Chemical sprays shonld be applied during warm weal her, care being liilepii to see that all parts of the plant übovti ([round are touched by the mixture. Special attention miiet always bo given lo ensure that Ihe collar of the plnnt receives its full share of th« material.

There is no royal rond to weed control, ]>ut if lurid-owners decided on concerted action much could be achieved, for the hope of success lies more in -practical work than thinking over sm:h matters. They should always lie alert to prevent weeds spending from their strongholds into clean country. Thin can only be effected by vigilance ami promptitude in combating 'fresh patches as soon as 'they make'their appearance. If nothing is done to cheek them they will shortly increase to formidable proportion?, mid the cost of their eradication later oil must be proportionately increased.