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Show fGRQfSOMY J This Department is Edited by Prof. JiC. Hogenson, of .tlje .Agricultural .Ag-ricultural College. A Weed and Pure Seed Law. In passing through our state from one end to the other a person cannot can-not help but be impressed with the necessity of a weed low, ibecausc everywhere, ev-erywhere, in cultivated fields, on road sides, ditch banks, partition fences, railroad right of ways, meadows, pas-tur pas-tur s, ctc.j noxious weeds arc allowed to grow unmolested and .ripen their seed for an abundant crop next season. sea-son. Some Sections the Law Ought to Contain. Every person or corporation shall destroy, upon all lands which he or it shall own, occupy or control, all weeds known as: i. June or Cheat grass, (Bromus sccalinus). 2. False Mallow, (Malvastrum ro-tundifolia). ro-tundifolia). 3. Wild Oats, (Avcna fatua). 4. Wild Mustard, (Bnassica arven-sis). arven-sis). 5. Dodder, (Cuscuta arvensis). 6. Canada thistle, (Carduus arvensis). arven-sis). 7. Cockle, (Agrostcmma githago). 8. Shcpard's purse, (Bursa. bursa: pastoris). p. Dandelion, (Taraxacum -officinale), io. Burdock, (Arctium lappa), ii. Sweet clover, (Mclulotus alba). 12. Wild carrot, (Dacus carota). ' 13. Wild parsnip, (Plastinaca saliva). sa-liva). 14. ' Wild radish, (Raphanus raph-anistrumi). raph-anistrumi). - 15. Wild Morning glory, (ConcpU-culvus (ConcpU-culvus scptium). 16. Fox-toil grass, (Alopecurus ar-istulatus). ar-istulatus). 17. Russian thistle, (Salsola tragus). tra-gus). 18. Tumble weed, (A'maranthus bli-toides). bli-toides). . 19. Pig weed or Red root, (Chino-pod'um (Chino-pod'um hybridum). Also such other weeds as may become be-come troublosonve from time to time, g,t such time and in such manner man-ner as shall effectually prevent them from bearing seed; and in like manner shall destoy any of the above mentioned weeds standing or growing upon any land owned, occupied or controlled by him 'or it out to the center of any highway, lane or alley. He or it shall also destroy all the above mentioned weeds growing along his partition fences and ditch banks. No wccds growing more than one hundred rods from any cultivated field, meadow or pastuc land need be destroyed. Fine; notice. If such person or corporation shall fail to so destroy any weeds that, under the provisions of this section, arc to be destroyed, within six days after being served with a written notice so to do, by any commissioner of noxious weeds, he shall be punished by a fine of five dollars for every day thereafter during dur-ing which such neglect shall continue; such written notice shall specify the kinds of weeds to be destroyed by the person or corporation on which it is served, and designate the tract of land on which such weeds arc growing, giving the description thereof there-of according to forty acre subdivisions of sections or other appropriate description; de-scription; such notice may be served up'on any corporation owning, occupying oc-cupying or controlling any land in any town iby leaving the same with any agent thereof residing or being therein and if no agent shall reside or be therein', then by leaving such notice with any agent who shall reside or be in any adjoining town. Commissioners of weeds. The chairman chair-man of each town board, the president presi-dent of "each village board and the mayor of each city, shall appoint some competent person or persons as commissioner com-missioner or commissioners of noxious yccds therein; such person shall take nn oath to faithfully perform the duties imposed upon him, which oath shall be filed in the office of the town clerk, and shall hold his office for onr year and until his successor has qualified quali-fied unless he is sooner removed for good cause by the officer who appointed ap-pointed him, in which case his successor suc-cessor shall be appointed for the unexpired un-expired portion of the term; provided that the presidmg officer at each annual an-nual town meeting shall put to the qualified voters present at such meeting meet-ing the following proposition for their decision, to-wit; "Shall the road supervisors sup-ervisors be ex-officio commissioners of noxious weeds in their respective districts?" If answered by the ma- j jprity of the voters present in the af- 1 firmativc the chairman of such town t shall appoint such superintendent or j superintendents as commissioners of I noxious weeds, and no others;, but if such question shall not receive a ma-jority ma-jority of such votes the chairman shall appoint a commissioner as hereinbefore hereinbe-fore provided. Districts. If more than one commissioner com-missioner is appointed under the first method the town, city or village shall be divided into districts by the officer making the appointment, and each person appointed shall be assigned to one such district; and if there are two i or more superintendents of highways 1 in any town which shall vote to make such officers the commissioners of , noxious weeds each shall be such 'k within his highway district, and shall 5 perform the same duties, be subject I to tbe same liabilities and entitled to I the same compensation, rights and I privileges as commissioners in other towns. I This section shall not apply to cities I of the first and second class, but in I such cities the street supervisors or l committee on streets all perform the J; duties of commissioners of weeds. j Duty of Commissioner: Such com- K missioner or supervisor shall carefully H. investigate concerning the existence of noxious weeds in his town, city, village or d?strict; and if any person or corporation, owning, occupying or eontolling any lands therein shall neglect neg-lect to destroy any of the weeds coming com-ing under the provisions of this act and standing or growing on such lands or upon any highway, lane, alley, partition par-tition fenoe or ditch bank adjoining and nearer to such lands than to the center of such highway, lane or alley, he shall serve or cause to be served on such person or corporation the written notice provided for an if the said person or corporation shall fail to comply with the terms of said notice no-tice within the time specified, he shall destroy or cause to be destroyed all such weeds. It shall also be the duty of the commissioner to enforce the section providing for the prevention of scattering weeds by hauling. Compensation; tax. For each day so used in destroying such weeds, he shall receive $2.50 upon presenting to the proper treasurer his account therefor, there-for, verified by his oath and approved by the chairman, president or mayor as the case may be. Such account shall specify by separate items the amount chargeable to each piece of land, describing the same and shall, after being paid by the treasurer, be filed with the town, crty or village clerk, who shall enter the amount chargeable to each tract of land in the next taoc roll in a column headed "for the destruction of weeds" as a tax and the land upon which the weeds destroyed which tax shall be collected as other taxes arc. Entry on Lands: Any such commissioner com-missioner or supervisor may enter upon any lands upon which any of the above mentioned weeds arc growing, or arc thought to be growing, and cut or otherwise destroy them without being liable to an act for trespass or other damage resulting from such entry en-try and destruction, if reasonable care is exercised in the performance of the duty hereby imposed. Public Works and Lands: The Secretary Sec-retary of State is hereby authorized to appoint, with the approval of the Governor Gov-ernor and tl e Director of the Agricultural Agri-cultural Experiment Station, a weed and seed specialist, whsc duties shall be o destroy or cause to be destoyed all weeds mentioned in this act and tending or growing upon lands owned own-ed or controlled by the state and coming com-ing within the distance limit as before be-fore mentioned. Hie shall also inforce and perform the duties described in the pure seed section of this act. For this work he shall receive the sum of $1200.00 per annum from the state treasury and paid from the misccllan- M cous fund. H Railroad lands: Except in the case H of railroad lands which arc exempt H from taxation in the usual way, when M the amount chargeable against the H same shall be certified by the com- H missioner to the board of supervisors M or trustees or the common council, as H the case may be, who shall cause a H certified copy thereof to be transmit- H ted to the state treasurer, who shall H add the amount designated therein to M the sum due from the railroad com- H pany owning, occupying or controlling H the lands specified as the license fee H thereof, and shall collect the same M therefrom and return the amount col- H leetcd to the town, city or village M from which such certificate was re- H ceived. H Scattering Weed Seeds: No person M or corporation shall haul or tnnsport H upon the public highways in this talc H tany grain, screenings or hay contain- H ing weed seed, except the same be se- H curely sacked or confined in suffi- H cicntly closed receptacles such as will H prevent tins scattering of such weed H seed contained therein. Any person H or corporation violating the provision H herein provided shall be guilty of a !H misdemeanor and upon conviction ;H thereof shall be punished by a fine not ,H (Continued on page 6) H AGRONOMY 'Edfted by J. C. Hogenson. x (Continued from page 3) exceeding twenty-five dollars or inv-prisonment inv-prisonment in the county jail not exceeding ex-ceeding thirty days; Pure Seed: No person, firm or corporation cor-poration shall, by himself, his agnjnt, or as agent or representative of any other iperson, firm or corporation, sell or offer for sale or for distribution upon the market any flowcrhig, garden gar-den vegetable or agricultural seeds for the purpose of seeding, sowing or planting unless the same shall, when put up and offered in closed packages, have plainly written or printed thereon there-on in English the name, kind and year when grown, its percentage of purity and freedom from foreign matter, its percentage of germination and the kinds of impurities, if any. If the same or any of them be put in open packages, or other receptacles there shall be a plainly written or printed label giving in English the name, kind, year grown, its percentage of germination, purity and freedom from foreign matter, giving the names of foreign matter present, if any. Any person, firm or corporation, agent or 'representative who shall violate any provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished pun-ished by a fine of not less than ten dollars for each and every offense. The weed and seed specialist shall obtain in the open market samples of seeds of grass, -clover, alfalfa, flowering, flower-ing, garden, vegetable or other agricultural agri-cultural seeds such as arc in general cultivation in this state. These samples sam-ples arc to be forwarded to the Director Di-rector of the Experiment Station where the same arc to be tested for purity and vitality as time permits and the results published togcthct with the namvs of persons by whom the seeds are offered for sale, their address, the" adulterating ingredients used, if any, and the percentages o the same, and such other information as may be deemed necessary for the protection of the public. Seven hundred hun-dred and fifty dollars per annum is hereby appropriated from the miscellaneous mis-cellaneous state fund to the Experiment Experi-ment Station for his purpose. |