672 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



relentless destroyer, that shall throttle our energies and make mock 01 

 our puny strength, until we drift — drift rudderless and helpless upon the 

 shoreless sea of grim despair, or of limitless night. Pleasant future to 

 face, isn't it; but beware, my friends, it is not all a phantasma.of a dis- 

 ordered mind. There is more stern reality in it than many of you are 

 able at the present time to comprehend, and especially those of you who 

 have not formed intimate acquaintance with the grim monarch. The Can- 

 ada thistle is bad — yea more than bad — upon the thin soils of the east, 

 what will it be upon the rich, deep, alluvial soils of Iowa. Some of you, 

 my friends may think I am sounding a false alarm, an alarm where dan- 

 ger is not imminent. You are wrong. I was never more in earnest. The 

 danger is imminent, decidedly, for within four miles of where Williams- 

 burg perches upon its hills, are several patches of that accursed weed, that 

 are thriving with a vigor and a vim that simply takes one's breath, figura- 

 tively speaking. And what will you do about it. Supinely wait for the 

 "other fellow" to do something, or instead of waiting Macawber-like for 

 "something to turn up," will you wake up to the fact that it is your duty, 

 and yours and yours to guard in every available way against the approach 

 of so treacherous an enemy. Let me tell you one way of doing your duty 

 toward the material interests of our great commonwealth of Iowa. Turn 

 with me to Sec. 5024 of the Code of Iowa, 1897, which reads: 



"If any person or corporation, after having been notified in writing 

 of the presence of Canada thistles on any lands owned or occupied by such 

 person or corporation, or if any road supervisor after having been noti- 

 fied in writing of the presence of any such thistles on the road under his 

 jurisdiction, shall permit such thistles or any part thereof to blossom or 

 mature, such person, corporation, or road supervisor shall be guilty of a 

 misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one hun- 

 dred dollars, or imprisonment in the county jail not more than thirty days." 

 There is another section w&ich also refers to this question. Sec. 1562: 

 "The road supervisors when notified in writing that any Canada 

 thistles, or any other variety of thistles are growing upon any lands, or 

 lots within his district, vacant or owned by non-residents, the owner, agent 

 or lessee of which is unknown, shall cause the same to be destroyed, and 

 make return in writing to the board of supervisors of his county, with a 

 bill for his expenses or charges therefor, which in no case shall exceed 

 two dollars per day for such services, which shall be audited and allowed 

 by said board and paid from the county fund. And the amount so paid 

 shall be entered up and levied against the lands or lots on which thistles 

 have been destroyed, and collected by the county treasurer the same as 

 other taxes, and returned to the county fund." Now I want to know whose 

 duty it is to set this machinery in motion. The law is silent in this, but 

 the inference cannot be doubted, that it is the duty of every citizen to con 

 stitute himself a watchful guardian, and an active one as well when there 

 is cause for action. It would be a false ideal of friendship toward one's 

 neighbor to remain silent when that neighbor, through ignorance or a 

 worse reason failed in caring for his pet thistles. It is a practical question 

 lor us all as to the remedies to apply for the complete extinguishment of 



