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Show PLANT PESTS. The Civic Improvement League finds plenty of work to be done. Not only Is It to supply the streets with refuse receptacles but It has been asked to start a movement for the extermination ex-termination of burdocks, dandelions, plantains and other plant, pests and the cleaning up of backyards. The News published recently a remedy for dandelions which has been tried by nearly all experiment stations. This is to spray, the plants with a solution of iron sulphate (two pounds to the gallon). Although thli does not harm the grass, it Is not efficacious enough to destroy the dandelion roots and they bob up as serenely the following year as though they hid never been sprayed. A much better method Is to let fall two or three drops of gasolene frum an oil can on each plant. This Is too slow for large fields but is all right for small lawns and Is more effective than the Iron sulphate. The same treatment Is also useful With plantains plant-ains and mallows. Burdocks should be cut down and burned and salt water or gasolene poured on the roots. The Russian thistle Is a comparatively new weed with us but It has appeared in the valley and we can easily eradicate It If we take It In time Every man who destroys a plant renders Inestimable Inestim-able service to the valley. Out worse than weeds In a door yard Is the slovenliness that allows the broom and the baby's clothes to stay permanently perman-ently on the front plazza.that pastures the horse In the front yard and neglects ne-glects to clean up after him, that leaves tools to rust Indefinitely about the place, that throws old stockings and tin cans Into the back yard, that has no working conception of heaven's first law and does not put neatness among the cardinal virtues. Human weeds are more unsightly ,tnan nature's and therefore more Important Impor-tant to be removed. The dooryard conscience which prevents our surroundings sur-roundings from being eyesores to our neighbors Is In a remarkably elementary elemen-tary stage with many of us, but each reason should see a growth In the virtue. If we first put things in order, then burn up the rubbish, and kill the . weeds, we may develop a sense of beauty which will scorn forever the slovenliness In the midst of which we may havj been passing too many of our dajs. |
