sl)rin^^ i.ulcpciulcnt of drifted dirt. Fall \)urning has proven more 
reliable in dense fields. 
Hnrning ht' means of an iron harrow has been much used, h\ 
attaching a team to the harrow hy a chain and keeping a continual 
lire under the harrow as it is draggetl along. 1 his has not proven 
verv satisfactory, probably owing to the fact that the scatteid seeds 
were not destroyed, besides many seeds \^'ere rattled out b% the 
harrow and fell niton the ground to germinate. 
Mowing the stubble, raking, burning and plowing immediately 
after harvest, before the seeds have matured, is one of the best 
methods of clearing the ground ; but the large areas cultivated, with 
the pressure t)f other wrtrk at this season, pre\'cnts this custom frttm 
becoming universal. iSlillet or other forage crops cut caily would 
allow time for plowing before harvest, f.ate summer fallowing, 
from the loth to the 15th of July, clearing the ground of all plants 
and harrowing in earl\' spring to insure germination of all seed, will 
also completel\' clear the ground. Ifut no matter how thoiough the 
work, rolling plants will be blown o\'er the fields t a portion of the 
dried blossom adheres to the seed, exposing a larger surface to the 
wind, and they w ill blow over the ground drifting along _ with the 
snow, completely re-seeding the most carefully prepaied fields. In 
a cubic foot of drifted snow near a fieUl of cacti 32 seeds were found, 
30 of which aitpeared capable of germination. 
If all cultivated farms were well fenced, or all plants large 
enough to roll were yearly destroyecl, this great and vexatious prob- 
lenf would be solved. Our nati\'e grasses will entiiely cxteiminate 
the cactus, abundant pr{>of of which can be seen in many once cidti- 
vated but now abaiuloned fields where the eautus has completely 
disappeared. No native prairie should be broken without first 
burning off the grass, as the ground is co\ ered with cactus seeds 
which will be lar'gelv destroycxl by burning it over. 
If fields are to be sown known to be infected with cacti, in¬ 
creasing the amount of seed ])er acre has been producti\ e of gootl 
residts t but no more land should be worked than can be well cai etl 
h>''- -11 
Roadsides, railroad embankments, gopher mounds, firebreaks, 
new breaking, earl\‘ summer-fallowing, neglected tree claims, and 
poorly cultivated potato aiul corn fields produce nearly all the plants 
which attain sulficient si/e to roll. A systematic and thorough 
destruction of these rollers must be enforced ; and all stubble ui 
other fields containing smaller cacti should be burned to prevent the 
detached seed blowing and drifting during the winter. An old 
picket rope saturated with petroleum, and drawn across the head of 
the field with a favorable wind, is said to be an effectual method of 
firing them. When the stubble fields cannot be burned it would be 
ad\ isable to mow, rake and burn the cacti, i'eserving the ground for 
summer fallow or late spring plow ing. Flowing under the mature 
cacti in the fall has often resulted in the complete loss of the follow- 
