70 



their further use and required that the water be drawn over the levee^ 

 which considerably increased the cost of obtaining water for flooding. 



Weedy grasses. — In all delta rice lands the rapid increase of injur- 

 ious grasses becomes a serious question. This is intensified along the 

 Mississippi by the large amount and wonderful variety of grass seed in 

 the river water. The question of disposing of these grasses was fully 

 treated by H. S. Wilkinson in a paper before the Jefferson Parish (La.j 

 Agricultural Society. He made the following suggestions : 



While the attempts to get rid of grass have only scored failures, there is 

 no doubt that grasses can be thinned out considerably. From the varieties we 

 have to contend with, embracing as they do seeds that geaminate from Feb- 

 ruary to June, it is hardly possible, under the present methods, to destroy 

 them entirely. The chief source of supply for these grass seeds is the suck- 

 ers that shoot out Horn the old stalks ^vhich are cut with the rice. In fifteen 

 days after the field is cut these suckers, which grow with wonderful rapidity, 

 are in seed again. 



Mowing and hurninq «he grasses. — I have met with some success in des- 

 troying this supply by -following up the harvester with a mowing machine, 

 cutting ever3-thing down, allowing it to dry, and then burning it. To do this 

 enough time must elapse before the mowing machine is started to allow the 

 suckers to send out new leaves, so that when cut there will be enough straw 

 on the ground to burn. Mowing without burning is almost useless. The fire 

 is what does the work, destro3dng not only the seed but the root itself, thus 

 effectually preventing any further suckerings. Any seeds that are left by the 

 fire, are exposed, will germinate during the first warm wet spell, and will be 

 destroyed by the first frost. A great objection to this plan is that it leaves 

 the land perfectly bare, to be impoverished by the parching August and Sep- 

 tember sun, and baking it so hard that it is difficult tc plough. This objec- 

 tion would condemn it as a practical failure, and we have yet to find out some 

 better plan of destroying this supph' of seed before we can ever hope to suc- 

 ceed in establishing permanent rice plantations. 



Winter flooding a failure. — If these grass seed^ are not destroyed iu the 

 fall, they are scattered broadcast by the wind, protected from heat and cold 

 by the luxurious growth, and only germinate when the continuous warmth 

 of spring, penetrating the ground, causes all vegetation to start. I 

 thought these seeds might be destroyed in winter by keeping them 

 under water, and, on one occasion, having a place well located for 

 that purpose, I kept a field under water all winter, and had it 

 ploughed in the spring. The straw, and, in fact, all vegetable matter had 

 rotted, leav'.ng the land perfect!)- clean, but a few days of exposure to the sun 

 brought out a first-class stand of grass. The grass seeds will not rot without 

 germinating, and they will not germinate in cold water. 



The best plan of dealivg With grass. — Having thus seen that, by the methods 

 snggested, these seeds can not be destroyed without disadvantage before 

 spring, the best plan to adopt will be to burn off as soon as possible after the 

 grass is killed by frost ; by this means some of the seeds are destroyed by 

 fire, some by ice, and the balance being exposed, will feel the warmth much 

 earlier, and will germinate in time to be destroyed by ploughing, providing the 

 ploughing is delayed long enough. This method is almost as objectionable as 

 mowing and burning in the fall, as the ploughing is delayed till March, the 

 planting is late, and all the benefit of the x\.ugust market is lost; but it is still 

 in my opinion the most advantageous plan. The grass seeds are in the ground, 

 producing a hardier and more prolific plant than rice. The man who calcu- 

 lates that they will not come up, finds out his mistake too late to remedy it, 

 except at considerable cost. 



Hand iveediru/. — Hand weeding is out of the question, being too slow and 

 expensive for the large planter. One of the great advantages of hand weed- 



