22 THE MONTANA EXPERIMENT STATION. 



tablished, and this inspector shall have similar powers to road 

 supervisors to call for a certaim amount of aid from each farmer 

 to be used in the common interest of stamping out these pests from 

 infected localities, or to compel individuals to clear their lands of 

 such pests. 



It would thus be possible to hold one man responsible for keep- 

 ing down these noxious weeds, while now the responsibility is 

 fixed upon no one and the interests involved are certainly as great, 

 if not greater, than in the maintenance of a good road system. It 

 should also be made the duty of the road supervisors to keep the 

 weeds cut or plowed under along the different public highways 

 within their jurisdiction. Unless some effort of this kind is soon 

 made, the labor of the farmer will be greatly increased. 



THE WEED LAW NOW IN FORCE IN MONTANA. 



[Penal Code, Approved March 18, 1895.] 



u §1197. Be it enacted that the weeds known as the Canada 

 thistle, the Scotch bull thistle and the Russian thistle aie hereby 

 declared to be a common nuisance for all the purposes of this Act. 



§1198. Any person or persons owning any lands within this 

 State, or occupying or having control of any lands, whether with- 

 in the plat of towns, villages or cities, or otherwise, within this 

 State, knowingly permitting or suffering any Canada, Scotch bull 

 or Russian thistle or thistles to go to seed upon any land or lands 

 thus owned, occupied or under control of such person or persons 

 shall be deemed guilty of supporting and maintaining a common 

 nuisance, and upon conviction thereof in any court of competent 

 jurisdiction, of the offense, shall be punished by a fine not exceed- 

 ing fifty nor less than five dollars. 



§1199. In case any person or persons, railroad or other cor- 

 poration, owning or occupying any lands within this State, under 

 his or her or their control, as the case may be, shall refuse or neg- 



