106 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



The seed retains its vitality for a great length of time. It has been 

 known to germinate and grow after the lapse of ten or twelve years. 

 For this reason it is very hard to kill out. 



Hoary Cress will grow in either cultivated or uncultivated lands. It 

 is found along roadsides and among rocks. It is a serious pest in 

 alfalfa, where it has been known to completely choke out a good stand. 

 Grain fields are being infested and prompt action is necessary in order 

 to prevent its spread. 



For the last twenty years Hoary Cress has laid claim to the Butcher's 

 Hill ranch, near Yreka, and has spread steadily from there to neighbor- 

 ing places: Montague, Hawkinsville and Willow Creek. The land 

 owners have fought its spread, however, and at present the worst 

 infestation is the Butcher's Hill ranch. The owners of this field have 

 agreed to turn it into pasture for the next season and keep enough 

 stock in the field to crop the weed close to the ground. This will keep 

 it from going to seed, and spreading to other places. Pasturing this 

 field for a number of years and preventing any seed from maturing 

 will kill out a large per cent of the growing weeds and make a system 

 of cultivation for its eradication feasible. 



The use of crude oil on the ground is very effective as a destroyer, 

 but it is not practical, as it destroys the ground also. Salt is of no use, 

 for it is dissolved and washed away by the rains before killing is accom- 

 plished. Fifty pounds of salt applied to a plot ten feet square had no 

 effect whatever on the Hoary Cress, though other weeds in the immediate 

 vicinity were killed. The unusually deep root saves it from such 

 methods of eradication. 



We are w^orking to discover some method which will be practical and 

 at the same time effective. At present the only system we have is that 

 of grubbing out all roots within reach and burning them. 



