TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 57J 



growth, in order to starve out the underground parts, except of course 

 those methods, at present of little value, which have for their object the 

 direct killing of the roots or root-stocks by the application of chemicals. 

 A great many farmers are looking for some easy method of killing the 

 bindweed, and in the meantime are letting it cover the fields and festoon 

 the trees of the orchard. They are looking for some magic "remedy" that 

 will completely eradicate the weed with a small amount of exertion on their 

 part. It must be understood that such a formidable enemy as this weed 

 requires heroic treatment. Other farmers have gone at the proWem heed- 

 lessly, as in the case of a man who followed the root of a plant to the 

 depth of 4 feet and then applied a large quantity of salt in the hole. 



Various methods have been tried to keep down the top growth, and 

 hence starve out the underground parts. There are three methods that 

 have given satisfactory results, namely, clean cultivation, alfalfa growing, 

 and hog pasturing. There are other methods that have been tried, but not 

 with a large measure of success. These include the placing of building 

 paper, beet pulp, apple pomace, straw, or manure on the ground to smother 

 the weed growth, and also the application of chemicals. Conditions in irri- 

 gated regions are complicated by the fact that bindweed is often allowed 

 to grow along irrigation ditches, the water in which distributes the seed. 

 The water of streams, especially at flood times, is also a factor in distrib- 

 uting the seeds and roots to other land. 



CLEAN CULTIVATIOX. 



Bindweed can "be eradicated by clean cultivation if thorough and per- 

 sistent. The case requires going over the land once every week or ten 

 days during the entire growing season of the weed, which is between the 

 spring and fall frosts. Two years of this treatment will accomplish the 

 result in most cases, and it is probable that one year will suffice where the 

 plant does not root deeply. The difficulty is that many farmers will not 

 cultivate as thoroughly as is necessary. Even a small top growth is enough 

 to form some new underground growth and rejuvenate the old roots or 

 rootstocks, thereby carrying the plant over to the next season. Cultivation 

 has the further advantage of inducing a rapid germination of all seeds of 

 the weed which are in the soil, the young seedlings being promptly de- 

 stroyed by the subsequent tillage. 



GROWI>'G ALFALFA HAY. 



Numerous cases have been found in which bindweed was greatly les- 

 sened or entirely eliminated by seeding an infested field to alfalfa for hay. 

 This is effected by two factors, namely, the frequent cutting and the smoth- 

 ering effect of the crop. The frequent cutting serves about the same pur- 

 pose as clean cultivation in keeping down the top growth of the weed and 

 hence starving the underground parts. After each cutting alfalfa makes a 

 rapid growth, more rapid than the weed, which is thereby shaded. After 

 the first year of alfalfa, bindweed is usually found to be making only a 

 small growth, with stems but a few inches long and leaves of miniature pro- 

 portions. This method is most effective where the cuttings are made as 



