WILD MUSTARD 59 



exclusively to grain growing and disappears when a system is intro- 

 duced which provides for grass and cultivated crops. The vital 

 point in the process of eradication is to prevent the seeds maturing 

 and shattering out. 



Where fields are infested, the land should be worked up with 

 a disc or spring-tooth harrow after the grain is harvested to 

 cover the seeds and induce germination. The plants resulting may 

 be destroyed by fall plowing or by freezing, preferably by fall plowing. 

 The fields should be cultivated reasonably early in the spring and 

 before the crop is sown, if grain is raised, to kill any plants that may 

 have started. If the cultivation can be kept up until early in May, 

 many of the young plants will be destroyed. A liberal seeding of 

 grain should be made when the soil is well prepared so that growth 

 may be quickly made and will fully cover the ground. If the mustard 

 starts in the grain, many of the young plants may be destroyed by 

 harrowing with a light spike-tooth harrow. If scattering plants 

 appear in the grain, they should be pulled by hand. If, in spite of 

 the careful preparation of the land, the field should still be badly 

 infested with mustard, the plants may be destroyed without injury 

 to the grain by spraying with a solution of sulphate of iron. The 

 solution must be applied with a sprayer before the plants pass through 

 the blossoming stage if it is to be effective. The solution should be 

 made up at the rate of from 75 to 100 pounds of iron sulphate to 

 52 gallons of water. The cost will vary with the locality, the help 

 available, and the equipment used. It will not be more than $1.00 

 or $1.25 per acre in most localities. 



A good crop rotation will do more to aid in keeping mustard in 

 check than anything else. The arrangement of crops may be varied 

 to suit the needs of the individual farm. Where grain raising is 

 principally followed for climatic or other reasons, it may be difficult 

 to meet all of the requirements of a good rotation, but some modified 

 form can be used to advantage. We would suggest this five-year 

 rotation: (1) grain seeded to timothy and clover, (2) hay, (3) hay or 

 pasture, (4) corn, and (5) grain. 



The hay land should be broken in the fall of the second year 

 and the land carefully prepared in the spring for corn. Thorough 

 cultivation must be given the corn and stray mustard plants removed 

 by hand pulling or hoeing. 



A good seven-year rotation for grain growers is (1) barley, 

 seeded to timothy and clover, (2) hay, (3) hay, (4) corn, (5) wheat, 

 or flax, (6) oats, and (7) wheat. 



