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Show K-; ' "-:"'''' '.r;''''--";' Vv .- 'w-. :. ''.' .' , ': -' . "' - :' V' 1.1 .. ,-. ,-'.'''. 1 . ; -s .-.. ''.'.' - . .- . ". " A bushel basket of marijuana picked in a local ripple rip-ple orchard is shown here by Police Chief Melvin Dalton. Several patches of plants were found in the west section of town this past week, and destroyed. Patches of Manfifciiio Discovered; Destroyed Several patches of Marijuana Mari-juana were destroyed last week which had been found in an apple orchard belonging belong-ing to Johnnie Johnson on Walnut Lane according to Police Chief Mel Dalton. Two large patches' cf the (P'ants, ranging in height from six inches to two feet were pulled up and burned. Chief Dalton estimated that at least 210 plants were destroyed, .which would, amount to several thousand ,of dollars on the market. In another coiner of the field, several smaller plants, up to a height of two inches, were also found and destroyed. des-troyed. Later in Ithe week, two more patches were located along the creek on the west .side of Fifth West, across from the same orchard. .These two patches combined, combin-ed, amounted to about one-' ha'tf bushel of the plants. "One interesting point'', said Chief Dalton, "is that each one of these plants, if grown on the mountain and virtually undisturbed, could grow to a' height of 12-1-1 feet," "These plants", he added, "would be worth up to cr more than $5'') each." Beth Da', tor. and Sheriff W. H. Bowman were in the Trms Independent; Monday, Mon-day, pledging for community commun-ity support, to seek out and destroy the marijuana growing grow-ing in the creek beds, ditches, ditch-es, tT.a gardens. Bowma.i, who also fcui'd plants growing grow-ing in the area tirs week, indicated thai spraying might do a more effective job cf destroying' the plc.nta than pulling t'.icm up from the ground. Tco many limes, he Ir.cljcated, the root 5 are &-Jt in tjive ground lafter a plant is pulled pull-ed and can again produce a healthy plant. Both law enforcement officers of-ficers advocated that, the job cf locating the mariitr.na in the area is loo much for the law enforcement: departments depart-ments alone. They urged that citizens on farms or ranch.es, or who own orchards; orch-ards; check their land areas thoroughly for evidence of the plant. Sportsmen and campers can also be on the lockout while in ihe mc;;,i-ta'n mc;;,i-ta'n areas, they said. One observation tint ha; been made by both Dalton and Bowman is that the majority ma-jority cf ihe Moab people do not really know what a marijuana plant looks like. Chief Dalton plans to place plastic rep!icas of the plant in the various downtown Stores to enable citizens to ibeccine familiar with it. while Sheriiff Bowman indicated in-dicated that he has plan's in his oftlce in Ihe court house' which can be shown itc the public ether at group functions or individually upon up-on a visit to his office. |