VIII.] ATTITUDE OF THE GOVERNMENT, 199 



"The stiiimlation of the soil to a constantly vigorous 

 production by means of thorough working and a large 

 use of manure." 



The chief remedies devised for the eradication of the 

 Russian thistle by a report of the Department of Agri- 

 culture devoted to the subject, are those which relate to 

 the conditions of the agriculture of the infested region 

 and to the methods of raising crops. 



We now come upon the second part of our inquiry : 

 Should the government destroy the Russian thistle ? It 

 will first be asked, How can the government destroy it ? 

 By going into farming ! The government might put a 

 million men to pulling up the weed, but a seed would 

 somewhere be overlooked, and after the lapse of a few 

 years the battle would recur. Sisyphus would forever 

 roll the stone which falls back upon his shoulders the 

 moment his effort is relaxed. The only permanent sal- 

 vation is the removal of the conditions, — the improve- 

 ment, diversification of the agriculture and the conse- 

 quent settlement of the country. But if the government 

 goes to farming, the autonomy of the individual is ab- 

 sorbed, and the result is a long step towards communism. 



The Senate amendment to House Bill No. 6937, pro- 

 posing an appropriation for the relief of the thistle - 

 stricken regions, reads as follows : "For the destruc- 

 tion of the Russian cactus (technically Salsola Kali 

 Tragus) , one million dollars, or so much thereof as may 

 be necessary, to be apportioned by the Secretary of 

 Agriculture among the several states infested by the 

 Russian cactus, said apportionment to be made in 

 accordance with the necessities of the case, to be ascer- 

 tained by the Secretary, and to be paid to the governor 



