114 tkansactions of the american institute. 



Canada Thistles. 



Mr. E. W. Mann writes from Wisconsin about this pest, that appears to 

 be spreading rapidly over the prairies. He says: 



" I have two small patches, and they keep spreading- from year to year 

 in spite of my efforts to subdue them. How much salt will it take per acre 

 to kill Canada thistles, and, if sown broadcast, the effect it will have on 

 the land, and how long it will destroy' the crop.'' 



We have never tried the experiment as to quantity, but we know that 

 20 bushels per acre does not destroy crops; we suppose that it may take 

 100 to kill thistles. We think that the land would recover in one year, 

 and be better than ever. It certainly would by adding as much lime as 

 you used salt. 



Mr. B. C. Arnold gives his experience in killing Canada thistles as fol- 

 lows: 



When the plant is so far advanced in blossoming, that seed is rapidly 

 forming there is a heavy draft on the accumulated supplies, and all the 

 resources of the plant. This occurring at a season of the year jr fually hot 

 and'dry, I reasoned that to mow it at this time, leaving the stumps exposed 

 to the hot sunshine, would destroy it. I mowed them, and but few plants 

 made their appearance the following season, and those were of the smaller 

 ones of the year before which had not seeded so freely, and consequently 

 were less exhausted. It is therefore essential that the cutting should be 

 delayed as long as can be without incurring the risk of seeding with a new 

 crop of them. 



Hops. 



Mr. James Manning, Will county, Illinois, writes for information on this 

 subject, and inquires if hops can be grown in Wisconsin as well as farmers 

 grow them in Central New York. 



Mr. Solon Robinson — I spent some time during the summer among the 

 hop growers of New York. There is no reason why you cannot grow hops 

 in Illinois and Wisconsin, but you will find one trouble. The soil is so 

 fertile that the vines will grow too large, overrunning and breaking down 

 the poles and not producing fruit in proportion to the growth of the vines- 

 At least that has been the experience of those who have tried to grow hops 

 upon very rich, mucky soil. There is a great difference in soil, as to the 

 quality of the hops, so that half the quantity grown upon one soil is worth 

 to the brewer more than the larger quantity from another district. This 

 value can only be proved by years of experiment. Of that you must take 

 the chances. Of the preparation of the ground, whatever prepares it well 

 for corn does for hops. In this word well, I include the draining and sub- 

 soil plowing, as first, and such other cheaper preparations as are usually 

 given as second and third. The tending of the crop is exactly what a 

 good corn-grower would give; that is to keep the ground absolutely clean 

 and mellow with the plow and horse hoe, and a little work with the hand 

 hoe. I found in the clay-slate lands of Cortland, Cayuga and Onondaga 

 counties, that the hills were about eight feet apart each way, with four to 

 six vines on each hill, trained upon two poles, ten to fifteen feet high. In 

 some places I have seen them 29 to 30 feet high. I believe that long polea 



