The Scientific American cyclopedia of formulas : partly based upon the twenty-eighth edition of Scientific American cyclopedia of receipts, notes and queries 15,000 formulas / edited by Albert A. Hopkins.
- Albert A. Hopkins
- Date:
- 1910
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The Scientific American cyclopedia of formulas : partly based upon the twenty-eighth edition of Scientific American cyclopedia of receipts, notes and queries 15,000 formulas / edited by Albert A. Hopkins. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![easily discernible until the flower spikes appear. Hand pulling and burning is perhaps one of the best remedies where the plants are not too abundant. If the land has become thoroughly seeded a series of hoed crops will probably be nec¬ essary to clear it out. In permanent pas¬ ture, mowing the plants as the seed stalks first appear will keep them in subjection. The mowing will have to be repeated sev¬ eral times, however, as the bracted plan¬ tain sends up seed stalks from May until November. The reports concerning this plant indi¬ cate that, if unchecked, it is likely to prove as troublesome as the rib grass which has become so widely distributed, chiefly in clover seed. The seeds of the bracted plantain are of Pearly the same size and shape as those of the rib grass, and as they ripen throughout the same season—June to November—they are just as likely to be harvested and thrashed with the clover seed. Buffalo Bur.—An annual, easily sub¬ dued by preventing the production of seeds. This may be done by mowing as often as the yellow blossoms appear. The seeds are less abundant than those of most of the bad annual weeds, and they are not often ripe, at least in the northern part of its range, until after the hurrying work of harvest is over. The buffalo bur is seldom troublesome in fields where thorough cultivation is practiced. _ The seeds may be expected as impurities in alfalfa and clover seed grown in the West. So far as known, however, in the East this weed has appeared first in waste places in cities' and towns and has spread thence to the surrounding farms. Chondrilla.—As the plant is usually most abundant in neglected pasture land where the soil is somewhat impoverished, it seems probable that cultivation and a supply of fertilizer would soon subdue it. Left unchecked it not only occupies all the space where the grass has become thin, but encroaches aggressively on strong grass sod. Charlock.—At a meeting of the French Society of Agriculture, M. Aime Girard, the celebrated agricultural chemist, an¬ nounced that cereal fields could be readily freed from the weed, without the least damage being done to the grain, by treat¬ ing them with a 5 per cent, solution of sulphate of copper. The explanation ap¬ pears to be that the salt is absorbed by the tissues of the charlock, whereas it does not affect the difficultly permeable cuticle of wheat or oats. A drop of water deposited with suitable precautions on an oat leaf retains its spherical form, and with a little care may even be re¬ moved without the leaf being moistened. On the other hand, a drop placed on a charlock leaf forthwith extends and en¬ ters the tissues. The same thing happens when a solution of sulphate of copper is employed. Hence the charlock is poi¬ soned and perishes at once, while the grain escapes. This seems a very simple and cheap method of weeding a field of wheat or oats. If, however, M. Bernard, who took part in the discussion of M. Girard’s paper, is not astray in his con¬ clusions, an even simpler and cheaper plan may be pursued by using sulphate of iron instead of the copper salt. He used a mixture of sulphate of iron and water, consisting of 20 or 30 kilograms of sul¬ phate to the hectoliter of water and found that from fields sprinkled with this liquid charlock disappeared entirely, the cereals being uninjured.—Revue Scientifique. False Flax.—Where abundant it may be necessary to omit winter wheat and rye from the rotation for a few years and raise crops that will permit cultiva¬ tion in autumn. Spring grain crops may be grown, or hoed crops may occupy the ground during the summer. Hoed crops may be employed to best advantage, as the cultivation given to these crops will induce the false-flax seed to germinate and thus clear the land sooner. In pas¬ tures and meadows the weeds may be pulled if they have not become too abun¬ dant ; but if this work has been long neglected it will probably be necessary to plow and cultivate the land. Horse Nettle.—The production of seed may be prevented by keeping the plants mown. The roots must be killed,, how¬ ever, and this task is about as difficult as killing the root of the Canada thistle; in fact, the methods which are most suc¬ cessful in destroying the Canada thistle may be used with advantage in destroy¬ ing the horse nettle. Clean cultivation and grubbing or spudding sufficient to pre¬ vent any development above ground will starve out the roots. Oats, barley, or millet sown thickly on well-tilled land will weaken the roots, preventing much growth above ground. Immediately after these crops are harvested the land may be plowed and then harrowed frequently until time for sowing crimson clover or winter rye. This will induce the ger¬ mination of weed seeds, and at the same time expose some of the roots to be killed by the sun. Crirqson clover, hairy vetch, rye, or winter oats may be sown to choke down the growth of horse net- [57]](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b31361523_0071.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
