Show RUSSIAN THISTLE benino A FOOTHOLD IN ASHLEY VALLBY several acres covered with t the lie obnoxious weed south booth of the mease ranch there ate aio two facts of which the far ineis in this valley should be made inalle aware they are the fact that the russian thistle is about the weed in the world and that this king kin of all pests peats has a royal good start in the southern part of naples it started at the shearing corral on the mease ranch and from there has spread to surrounding farms it is a prolific plant bearing millions of tiny seeds and the plant Is of the tumble weed order susceptible of being blown over the country scattering the seed geed wherever it is carried by the wind even fences do not stop it as the drift arif t ing weeds pile up higher thin than the fences allowing the weeds weeda that follow to pass over G grain rain cannot be harvested wherever the russian thistle grows it la is so dense and covered with thorns that stock cannot eat gram grain or hay from among it from the best information available a united effort on the part of the farm ers and county officials will bo be necessary to eradicate the scourge we will also have to act at once or 0 it will be too late and this fertile valk y may have to be abandoned as other sections of the united states have been en cn account of this very weed the thistle |