Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1927-06-12 | Page 18 | Puncture Weed Plays Havoc with Tires California Now Fighting Dangerous Pest

Puncture Weed Plays Havoc With Tires s fc California Now Fighting Dangerous Pest SACRAMENTO June 11 To 11 To ToJ J date dale the coming of the tho auto auto- automobile automobile mobile mobile- hasn't brought any soy tire lire trees sparkplug bushes or wind wind- windshield windshield shield orchards But nut It has developed do the puncture puncture puncture ture vine Ine as well vs s oS the tho gasoline plant The auto nulo has been a blessing to farmers here in III California But I through the spread of this motor motor- motorized flora lorn it has brought one motor motor-I of the farmers farmer's worst troubles Centuries ago the plant developed developed oved in Africa Somehow it reached America and came to California Its peculiar burr has two sharp spines each the size sire of a carpet tack and set at right angles so that no matter how the th lies burr burr lies one point always will be sticking sUcking up UJ Apparently It developed this pe pe- peculiarity peculiarity peculiarity through centuries of attaching at al attaching taching to the feet or the hair of animals so it spread Us U. seed It developed also alse a R. peculiar habit of lying prostrate 33 as a vine and of growing on packed hard well well traversed traversed ground California became motorized motorised So did the puncture vino It seemed to travel for the high high- highways highways ways was in the earlier days and se secured se- se secured cured its state slate name Its disastrous dis dis- disastrous effects on old fabric and bicycle tires Ures When tho the country began travel travel- traveling ing so did the puncture rt By n growing into the roads Its it s burrs affix themselves to tires lire and are carried d hundreds of o miles before they the fall faU off or are an scraped off oft to to start starl in a new ne location and overrun valuable ground The California department of agriculture has given serious study to the puncture vine Ine and andus has us instituted some highly diee Ive control work This Includes frequent cultivation of crops menaced by b the vine and spray spray- log Ing og the pest at times limes with fuel fael oil to destroy both plant anc an and d seed Motorists have been asked t to o help by seeing that any tire lire they the themay r may change in the infested area are a Is entirely tree free from puncture e weed burrs when It Is put on the th e spare rack and that running g boards rubber heels and camping campin g kit arc are free freo from the pest