Show farmers may now get after weeds land removed from corn and wheat provides splendid opportunity by bruce thornton A Awn clato botanist colorado college aku service an exceptional opportunity for farmers to control harmful weeds Is offered in the removal of large acre ages of land from wheat and corn under the governments plan of controlled production such weeds as field bindweed or wild morning glory white weed or perennial poverty weeds canada thistle and russian knapweed way may be controlled or eradicated by cultivating often enough to prevent any green growth appearing above the surface of the ground clean cultivation Is the cheapest method of eradication available at pre present sent this usually requires cultivating once a week for two consecutive years although may be less frequent as the plants are weakened one year of clean cultivation has produced desired results under some conditions dit ions weakening weakened weeds so that a heavy sowing of alfalfa 7 lias has smothered them out completely however there is always a chance that some plants will survive under this method these weed pests defy ordinary control methods because of the huge amounts of food materials hold held in reserve in their eten extensive sive creeping root systems usual cultural practices where care is not taken to keep green growth from appearing often increases rather than decreases the growth and spread of the weeds clean cultivation has been hindered in the past by the hesitancy to take land out of production although crops produced in weedy areas usually are of poor quality and low yield now that farmers are being paid rentals by the government to keep land out of corn and wheat or the production of any crop competing with any basic commodity an unusual opportunity pr presents eserts itself for eradicating injurious weeds by clean cultivation weed eradication will increase the value of the land and remove a source of possible further damage |