THE CALIFORNIAN THISTLE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 92, 8 June 1911, Page 2

THE CALIFORNIAN THISTLE.

METHODS OF ERADICATION. (By W.S. in “N.Z. Herald.’’) The problem of oradicating noxious veeds among which the Californian fliistlc is the most difficult to contend \ ith has for the last few years been ■he centre of study with some of 11.: aost prominent members of, our iaimug eoiiunmiity. Many devices and •xpoi im.eiits have been put into pi novice; different chemicals have been aied, and as far as eradicating the thistle, some of these have been iaiily successful, tut in many iiisl.inces the cost of treatment has been too {front, md can only be praclised where Ihe patches are few. Another disadvantage of vising chemicals that will prove effective in killing the weeds is that they are more or loss disastrous to ■ other plant life, so if applied to the thistle the ground where the chemicals is used will not grow mytbiug for a aunt her of years, the refore, to get rid of the weeds in tin’s way is an expensive item. FAILURE OF CHEMICAL METHODS. After paying for the chemicals then the loss "of the land until the poison has become exhausted and the land is restored to its natural fertility makes this method almost prohibitive. Apart from this there is always a certain amount of risk with stock when rising poisonous chemicals. These should only he used where the land under treatment can he securely fenced off, so that the stock will have no chance of getting at it, or the loss will exceed the gain. The application of common, coarse salt has been freely tried, and many consider if this method is consistently .followed up it will prove su leessf’.il in d>‘niiug wi h < aliioi iU thistle. Others, again, 1 I'.a l ave gmmi this method a fair ivinl ha 'c discontinued it, as being lOAfie-i m. _ 1 cm inclined to agree wth the in Her, as 1 have tried the salt i ep-af.dlv. anc lave deiived 'no great •; vaniage Irom it, I have tried several other methods, but do not consider any of them as effective as cultivation. THE USE OF SALT AND SODA. I have salted certain patches for seven years without any permanent effect. ” The plants are certainly getting weaker every season, but they still continue to throw up a few shoots, although the land all round is almost destitute of other plant life, •as it has been so heavily salted. One particular patch which contains about one sixteenth part of an acre that was treated in this way, has had the application of salt during the past seven years, 3cwt of salt being used at each dressing. If we total this up it will be seen that this patch has had at the rate of about 44 tons per acre. This may seem to the inexperienced incredulous, nevertheless, although this amount has been applied it has not killed the thistle entirely, but as I have! before mentioned a few shoots are still appearing. The method I adopted was to take a narrow draining spade four indies wide at the mouth (a mattock will do). Wherever 'there was a thistle I took a spit out about four inches deep, then filled up the hole with salt, so that the salt had every opportunity of penetrating to the roots of the plants. I also tried carbonate of soda on part of the same plot, filling the holes with the soda, in the same way as the salt, but even this did not prove effective in killing the thistle. 1 intend to follow up the salt t* calmer! on three plots, and may in time v able to give a more favourable report. THE THISTLE AND CULTIVATION. Most practical men now eons:rl< , i *liat the oc v solution to' h- proiiimn is thorough cultivation, this being the best and surest means of ■.o-.'m.g nd of this most unwelcome weed. .Many farmers contend that stock are rapidly acquiring a taste for the ch.-ole flowers, and (Ids, no doubt, will greatly reduce the plant spreading, but unless more stringent measures arc taken the thistle will gradually and surely spread over large; areas that are in dose proximity to the infected land. Of course, there are large tracts of unimproved and inaccessible country, that will be very difficult indeed to deal with, as cultivation is out of the question, and for this reason it is gratifying to learn that stock are acquiring a taste for the thistle flower. Tliis will to a certain degree help to prevent the plant from spreading, for without seeding it will not spread rapidly. TRAMP BIND BY STOCK. In places where only small patches of the Hustle are present it is a good plan to pmeo a sheep or cattle rack on the patches, the tramping of the stock while feeding the nay or chaff helps to keep the patches Irom spreading; In m; in instances where the ti amping has I ••on cxeossi/o it ha; killed the i.hhtle entirely. This, of course, can only bo pra Arsed where the patches are few, and the Mid lovel enough to allow a hay or chaff rack to lie used. PLOUGH'NG OUT THE THISTLE. The method of cultivation now adopted ry many is to plough the hnul that* is to* he tre.uid ir the spring .m l summer falivv by constantly taring over with rue ) lough until January, then sow rape or sun.; oilier quick-giowing fodd*r, Midi as oats, rye, oi Capa harin'; IVad oil. then plough op again in the spring and give the land a frequent cultivation, and put in a crop of turnips, kale,, m mangolds, all at 23in between the drills to allow the free use of the horse hoe. Any thistles that show themselves in the drills must be kept cut with a hoe, and should never be allowed to grow to any size. 1 Alter the crop is fed or harvested the land should again be deeply ploughed, in order to cut any shoots that may be making their way towards the surface, then the land should be railtidied frocjiiently until the time arrives for the crop that is to lollow.

A PAYING METHOD. Through constant cultivation 1 ho 1 1 hi] returns heavy crops, which partly or wholly remunerates the farmer lot the extra work. Many daclaio Unit the crop after such cultivation mere than pays for the extra labour. Another crop of rap;; may then bo sown, and tho following year followed by turnips, after which a white cron, ar.d then sown down. If tho land is thoroughly cultivated between each ot these crops there is little chance of any of the thistles being left alive. Aliy plant that is not allowed to grow green leaves cannot survive for any length of time. the question of cutting. Ai tcongu file culling of (iie Calif' vrim .hii.llc on grass land is always insisled upon, it appears vo an- that n.o pnmanont imiuovomeut can beI xpected while the weeds growing among l!ic wheat and oat crops sre allowed to mature, (he seeds ».f which ai j blown aliout by tbe wind cn to land not affected. Another pla.se of the or: I ion is that seed or chart grown on this diily hud has become a ni. n.nc to the whole of tie distilli, and farmers fiom uninfected district; v.ill not hay their seed from an infooted dir ts ict if they can possibly erocr.io it elsewhere. It iheiebno 'i-bnves every fainier to do everything : i ‘.I s in I h power to prevent the

spread, or, better still, m n.lmato lac weed from his land, and 1 be is persevering and guided by proper ncr.hods ho will s.oonei or later leap tho„ reward of his labour. Swet-t Scones.--Hub two tablospennfids of butter finely into one pound of silted flour, add one lablesp.ionful of sugar, a quarter ol a teaspoon I’ul of sn.lt, one iea.-qioonlul of carbonate of soda, and two teaspoonfuls of cream oi lat tar. Beat up one egg, out ball oi ii into a cup, willi some sweet md!:, then add. to the oilier ingredients, making a salt dough. Knead ii a iilllo on a floured linking-hoard, divide it into live pieces; make them smooth and roll out, not too thinly : cut them into four small cakes. Lay them on a greased br.kiug-tiu, brush them over with egg and hake them in a hot oven for ten minutes. Two ounces of sultanas, raisins, or currants may he added. The dough should always ho handled lighllv. These scones will ho appreciated by afternoon callers. Serve “Elephant” blend tea, and vour visitors will be delighted. The tea has a flavour all its own, and is distinct from every other lea you leave ever tasted. “Elephant” blend brows a rich strong liquor and Iho texture being line it mixes well with tho milk. “Elephant ’ • deud is sold at 2s 2d per lb., and your grocer is sure to have it.*