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Show Beware of Russian Thistle. Should Be Ectcrminated "Now." This Weed Has Taken Up Ita Abode in Many Parts of Our State, A very obnoxious plant seems to have gained a foothold In the soil of various parts of this state. At the normal school of tbo University of Utah, tbe classca in naturo study began this fall with a study of tbo various weeds tbat infest the fields, tbo dooryards, and also tho open splices of unreclaimed laud. When tho division of pigweeds and ssltwarts was reached, the professor asked the students to keep a lookout for a certain weed troublesome iu many parts of the country, and known iih the Itus-stan Itus-stan thistle, or tumblcwetd. Tho plant was doscrlbcd to the students, and presently pres-ently from various localities specimens of a suspicious looking but soft and almost velvety plant were brought in, which wero pronounced to be the dreaded thistle or tumblewccd of the Hussion steppes. Tho true nature of this species soon became manifest. In tbe course of two weeks tho plant began to ripen. The soft, sharp-pointed leaves becomo stiff and rigid, and the specimeus now bristle all over with spiny prickles; so that, while in its earlier stages of growth, the plant can readily bo pulled up by the roots, at tbe time of maturity, It can hardly be seized by the naked band on account of its leaves now stiffened into veritable spine. This weed is an illustration illus-tration of an old proverb lu a now form-destroy form-destroy the evil in its iuclpluncy and the task is light enough; but let it fully develop, de-velop, and its eradicatlou is difficult or even impossible, Tbo situation Is now before tho farmers farm-ers of Utah and thu land owners everywhere. every-where. This plant it attaining a foot-bold foot-bold in Utah, and it should bu relentlessly relent-lessly eradicated. Prof. Paul, director of tho nature work at thu university, says tbat tho plaut has been in Utah only a few years, the first specimen, apparently, appar-ently, tbat was noticed by auyone here having been found by Dr. Orson Howard curator of the university museum, about three years ago. At that time , the doctor found ono of tbe plants in the vicinity of Fort Douglas, Hopes ware then entertained that the weed would not find our soli and climate congenial to its spread and development. But tbo result Is otherwise; for today the plant is reported re-ported at many places, especially aloug the railroad tracks. Principal McKnlgbt has observed it in southern Utah; Prof. Paul baa found it in Idaho; and student bring daily to tbe nature class branches of it from various parts of thu east bench in this city. Thu plant appears to be spreading rapidly, and requires tbe careful care-ful work of all thosu who disco vor it, to rid tho soil of a post that once established estab-lished usurps thu laud and uvub dispossesses dispos-sesses the' owners of thu soil. It was probably lu 1673 that tbe weed first appeared iu this country. At tbat timo a colony of immigrants carao over from southern Russia aud located in South Dakota. Thoy brought with tbeni a small rjuautity of flax seed, and sowed it ia thu soil of their new borne. When it camu up, it was somewhat mixed with a alcudcr. reddish weed familiar enough to tbe peasants, who did not, however, taku tho trouble to destroy these weeds. Perhaps they did not know tbat in tbolr old homo in Russia, this weed had long been known as one of tbo most uoxious of vegetable pests, and tbat extensive areas of land about thu Uasplau sua had been abandoned by farmer becausu this wved had literally driven them out. At any rate, all eyes were blind to tbo menace Implied in tho appearancu of this vegetable worrlor, and ita plants weru permitted to go to seed. In a few years It bad extended beyond be-yond tbo tiouth Dakota bills and bad reached ibo plains. Here ita destructive career began. Llko savages on the warpath, war-path, these weeds were driven before tho wind, until) in a few years thoy had spread into North Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska. During the next few years tbo plant invaded Minnesota, Wisconsin Illinois, Ohio and Colorado, and has recently engaged tbe serious attention of tho legislatures of various states in vain elTorts to get rid of it. Now tbat it has taken hold In Utah, there is only one safe and rational thing to do to kill it out and to "do It now." Tho weed resembles our own busby tumblcwccds, but has smaller and more acute leaves and stems a Httlo longer, thinner snd mora arched Inwards than in our species. The Russian thistlo begins be-gins to grow as a slmplo and iuoffensivo plaut witb slender and succulent leaves and branches. As the plant grows older the branches spread out and tho leaves harden into spines. Tho full growu specimens may reach a diameter of five feot, and most of the dry bushes are somewhat spherical in outline. The dried plant is readily broken off from tba root and then rolls before every wind, scattering its seed as it travels. A large plant Is said to contain 200,000 seeds, and the plants grow so rapidly as to exclude ex-clude practically all otbo forms of vegetation. vege-tation. Descrat News, Oct. 11. |