COUCH ERADICATION.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19724, 14 September 1929, Page 19

COUCH ERADICATION.

SODIUM CHLORATE. Mr Geo. Lee, Templeton, supplies the following, culled from the editor's column of "Fruits and Gardens":— I want to thank you for the information you gave me about sodium chlorate. On your suggestion I obtained some of this material and sprayed it according to directions on a thick patch of quack grass on my place, which I was particularly anxious to get rid of. The grass immediately began to turn brown, and in e few days was very sickly. This was about three weeks ago. The grass now shows no sign of life, and I believe it is dead. I sprayed only once and have had several heavy rains since that time. I have been wondering how the material kills the roots as well as the tops and would thank you for an explanation of the matter.—J. R. Winsconsin.

Answer: I am glad to know you obtained such excellent results. Reports in general indicate that the material is very effective, not only in killing quack grass, but Canada thistle, morning glories, bindweed, and ttther stubborn plants. You should, of course, follow directions carefully and take precautions against possibility of fire. I regret that I cannot give yon the explanation in regard to how the material kills. The -scientists who d'scovered its value in weed-killing have not yet determined how the materials kill. It is supposed that the material is absorbed by the plants and is carried by the conducting tissues throughout the plants. It is difficult to explain how the roots can bo lc : -i!ea on any other basis.—Dr. C. E. Durst.

The sodium chlorate is sent out in 1121b metal drums, 13 to 15 dollars per drum delivered to any State in U.S.A. Dosage, lib to a gallon of water, 100 gallons per acre.

CULTIVATION AND "SMOTHER"

METHODS.

From "Seasonable Hints," a leaflet issued periodically by the Canadian Experimental Farms, and to hand by last week's mail, may be taken a description of the methods of twitch eradication found most successful' in that .Dominion: —

Couch grass, Agropyron repens, commonly known as quack, twitch, seriteh, quick, witch, etc., is one ot our- worst weeds, and its economic control is a problem confronting many agriculturists at the present time.

I Unlike most perennials, it has a shallow root system which is wide spreading, consisting of fleshy root stocks that quickly form into matted beds. It alsb reproduces itself from seed, so that in order to control this pest two things are essential. First, do not let this grass set seed; and, second, destroy the root system. Bhe first method needs little elaboration. It consists in cutting the meadows before seeding takes place, or in, keeping the grass hoed out of the intertilled crops. The destruction of the root system is the best method of controlling this pest. The land, should be ploughed shallow and the sod turned well over and rolled flat in order that it may rot and break down. Then implements that will bring the rootlets and underground stocks to the sur face, where they quickly dry out with the action of the wind and sun, should be used. When drying conditions are good only a few days are necessary to dry up the root stocks. However the weather cannot always be counted on, and presistent cultivation and moving of the rootlets about, in order to prevent them becoming established, is necessary. . The spring-tooth cultivator with narrow teeth has been found very good for this work and preferable to the spike-tooth harrow. In gathering the withered rootlets, and in stirring the soil to keep them from becoming established, the chain harrow has been found very useful. This implement could find a place on many farms with advantage, and is also ideal for putting the finishing touches on the seed-bed. In some districts successful eradication has been accomplished by cultivation followed by smother crops, such as rape'arid even a rank growth of sunflowers have practically eliminated a bad stand of couch. In sections of the Prairie and in British Columbia where irrigation is practised, the smother crop system, has not been so satisfactory, but persistent systematic cultivation I will control this pernicious weed. |

Dealing with sterility in an article published in the "North American Veterinarian" for May last, Nils Lagerof, a Swedish investigator who recently visited Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Holland, states that in those conntries treatment is carried out according to the methods of Albrechten and Hess —methods with which we are quite familiar in New Zealand. In short, they eonsist of manipulation of the ovaries and a specialised method of irrigating the uterus. Both method* give excellent results in cases where there are well-defined disease conditions; but, unfortunately, do not appear to give equal results in the temporary form of sterility, which constitutes by far the greatest number of cases under investigation. Temporary sterility appears to be a functional sterility, and noticeable disease conditions of any importance are conspicuous by their absence. Following this line considerable investigational work is on hand in New Zealand with the use of calcium by various methods, mineral supplements, and the use of the fairly recently discovered vitamin E—work which should offer a far more promising field. A novel contest, with the aim of starting a campaign against scrub bulls, has been announced by Dr T. B- Kaiser, M.P. for Ontario. He is giving a prize of 50 dollars for the worst specimen of scrub bull that the farmers of Ontario and Durham counties can muster and show at the Oshawa Fall Fair this year. A regulation attached to the contest is that "winning" scrub must - be slaughtered, and free transportation will be ■ provided for the animal to the abattoir. The farmer will also retain the price j that he gets for the animal u beef. j