36 
MESSOURI. 
CANADA THISTLE. 
SECTION 7420. It shall be the duty of every owner, lessee or other occupant of 
any lands in this State, and of every railroad company, partnership lessee, or other 
corporation of persons owning or operating auy railroad in this State, within the 
limits of the right of way of such railroad, and on all grounds owned or controlled 
by such company, lessee, or person, to cut, or cause to be cut down, all Canada. 
thistles, standing, being or growing thereon, or on any road or highway passing 
through, by or over such lands or right of way, so often in each and every year as shall 
be sufficient to prevent said thistles from going to seed; and if any owner, lessee, or 
other occupant of any lands, or any railroad company, partnership, lessee, or other 
corporation or person owning or operating any railroad in this State, shall, know- 
ingly, suffer any such Canada thistles to grow thereon and the seed thereof to ripen, 
so as to cause or endanger the spread thereof, such corporation, owner, lessee, or 
other person shall forfeit and pay the sum of ten dollars for every such offense; and 
such sum forfeited, may be recovered, by civil action, in the name of the road over- 
seer, or other person having charge of the streets, roads or highways in the district 
or place where such thistles may be allowed to grow or seed, before any justice of 
the peace of the county, city, town or township in which the offense is committed, 
and all sums recovered by virtue of this section shall be paid to the use of the 
county school fund. 
(Laws 1877, p. 6, § 1.) 
Src. 7421. When Canada thistles are or may hereafter be growing upon unoccupied 
lands, the owner of which is not a resident of the county in which such lands lie, it 
shall be the duty of the road overseer or other person having charge of the roads 
and highways in the district or place where such lands lie, to cut, or cause to be cut 
down, such thistles, so as to prevent the seed from ripening, and for that purpose 
shall have authority to call to his assistance any road hands of his district, and to 
enter on such lands without being liable to an action of trespass therefor; and such 
overseer or other person shall keep an accurate account of the expense incurred by 
him in cutting or causing to be cut, such thistles, with respect to each tract of land 
entered for that purpose, and he shall verify such statement under his oath and 
transmit the same to the county clerk or other officer whose duty it is or may be to 
extend State and county taxes on tax books or bills against real estate, and such clerk 
or other officer shall extend the aggregate expense so charged against each tract of 
land against the same, as a special tax, which shall then become a lien on said lands 
and be collected as State and county taxes are or may be collected by law, and when 
collected the same shall be paid to the party who rendered the service. 
(Laws 1877, p. 7, § 2.) 
Sec. 7422. It ehall be the duty of any person who shall ci or cause to be wraior 
into this State, any fruit trees, queensware or other property of any kind or descrip- 
tion packed in or with straw or grass of any kind, to burn said straw or grass at the 
time of unpacking the same, and if any such person shall not so destroy such grass 
or straw, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. 
(Laws of 1877, p.7, § 3.) 
Src. 7423. Any person who shall, knowingly, vend any grass or other seed, among 
which there is any seed of the Canada thistle, shall be deemed guilty of a misde- 
meanor. 
(Laws 1877, p.7, § 4.) 
SEc. 7425. ee road overseer or other person having charge of streets, roads, or 
highways, who shall refuse or neglect to discharge the duties imposed on him by ihe 
provisions imposed on him by this chapter, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. 
Approved April 9, 1877. 
(Laws 1877, p.7, §6. Revised Statutes of Missouri, 1879, p. 1454.) 
