204 ' IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
field consisting of a quarter section of Quack Grass, one of the worst 
infected sections in the county, was planted to millet and buckwheat and 
in the worst places forks were used to remove the roots, then the field 
was planted to corn and in this way many of the weeds, including Quack 
Grass, were removed. According to C. J. Kirby, of Black Hawk county, 
cockleburs are found mostly on rented farms and the best plan to remove 
these weeds is to get the land into pasture or meadow. Pasture, especi- 
ally, if sheep are allowed to graze. According to F. E. Wakeman, he 
finds that rank weeds should be cut when coming into bloom and in this 
way they soon disappear, also Bull Thistle and Dock should be cut off 
early in the season; Velvet Leaf and Squirrel-tail are more persistent 
weeds. Mr. Lee, of Van Buren county, also finds that Butter-print is 
hard to exterminate and that Cocklebur, Curled Dock, and Jimson Weed 
may be killed by persistent cutting below the surface of the ground. Mr. 
H. R. Albers, of Battle Creek, who had thistles in a pasture (probably 
woolly thistle) plowed in fhe fall, disced three times in the spring and 
planted to corn and cultivated three times and the following year had 
very little of the thistle. Mr. Greer, of Linn county, recommends the 
mowing of cucklebur in August, close to the ground and burning and 
plowing, this has been found very effective. Mr. F. W. Tucker, of Chicka- 
saw county, with reference to Canada Thistle, recommends plowing each 
week during the summer, with constant effort, plowing and cultivation 
will kill the weed. Mr. L. J. Philip states that by covering the Canada 
Thistle with straw in the course of a few years the weed can be des- 
troyed. In regard to mustard, he thinks that Wild Mustard would not 
be troublesome if clean seed would be sown. Cultivate and pull the 
mustard when young. 
LEGISLATION. 
With reference to legislation, may I suggest that while legislation is 
important, the question of publicity or of making the people acquainted 
with the importance of weed extermination is vastly more important. 
You can go all over the State of Iowa and in every locality Canada 
Thistle may be found but there are very few prosecutions under the law. 
I have been written a great many times on this matter and I have said, 
"Why don't you prosecute?" and I have been told, "Oh. we hate to prose- 
cute a neighbor and the county attorney doesn't care to bring action." 
No rigid or fast line can be drawn as to the kind of weeds that should 
be contained in a weed law. I have drawn up a bill which embodies my 
ideas on the subject. I have included five weeds because of the urgent 
demand that was made to have these included but in my judgment it 
would be better to not mention any weeds but to leave it to a commis- 
sion. 
The accompanying maps will show the abundance and the reports re- 
ceived in regard to a few of the troublesome weeds: Quack Grass, Canada 
Thistle, Wild Mustard, Squirrel-tail Grass. 
L. H. Pammel. 
