92 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



"Clearing of right of way in varying degrees of completeness has 

 been carried out over approximately 60 miles of roadway by the methods 

 and at the cost shown below : 



"The use of a mowing machine is not satisfactory for the following 

 reasons: unevenness of roadside, obstructions such as guardrails, power 

 and telephone poles, material cut is left alongside road and is more 

 readily exposed to danger of fire. 



"The scythe was used only to cut the larger growth, such as mustard 

 and thistles, covering approximately 10 per cent of area. A thorough 

 cutting would be difficult and expensive on account of tough grass. Cut 

 material would then be left alongside road. 



"Burning is the most satisfactory in that the appearance of the road- 

 side is better, abutting property is protected from fire and the weed 

 seeds are destroyed. 



"Roadside structures, poles and fences are protected by wet sacks. 

 Four laborers will burn off about one mile per day." 



Mr. Walter C. Howe, headquarters, San Luis Obispo, says: "During 

 1916 the total expenditure for the clearing away of weeds along the 

 highway right of way amounted to $190.34, or practically $1 per mile 

 of road under maintenance. 



"In this division there are many long stretches of highway right of 

 way practically free from noxious weeds, along which the only growth 

 consists of wild oats and other grasses. 



"At one or two points, stretches of particularly noxious weed growth 

 have been found, and of these the worst occurred in Monterey County 

 between the towns of Greenfield and Soledad. Here a four-mile section 

 of right of way contained a fairly strong growth of Russian thistle. 

 Mr. J. B. Hickman. Monterey County horticultural commissioner, called 

 attention to this growth and under his supervision the destruction of 

 the weed was attempted by uprooting witli hand hoe just before the 

 development of seed had started. This work cost $10.31, or practically 

 $2.50 per mile of highway, the growth consisting of an intermittent 

 fringe along the extreme edge of the right of way. It is too early to 

 comment upon the results of this work but last season the roadway was 

 practically free from the thistle. 



"Along some of the highway in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara 

 counties a rank growth of mustard is encountered. It is the practice 

 to cut this down while still green, with a horse-drawn mowing machine, 

 and it is estimated that this work is performed for about $1.50 per mile. 

 After cutting, the mustard does not return in the same season, but due 

 to the fact that the weed grows freely and to maturity in numerous 



