THE COUBIIS
3
ffie Russian thistle
fias Come to $$$
It seems almost paradoxical that the
much maligned Russian thistle, which
a few years ago was generally consid
ered the farmer's Implacable enemy, a
hateful menace to all useful vegetation
and a curse to agricultural districts,
should now actually be encouraged as
a pasture or forage plant in the west
ern sand hills country. In many of
the western counties in this state.
South Dakota and Kansas the thistle
is giving good return to the farmer. Es
pecially is this true in South Dakota.
It was eight years ago when the
farmers in the western country were
disturbed by the appearance on their
cultivated lands of the new and
strange weed, which upon investigation
proved to be the dread Russian thistle
or tumbleweed. Its source of intro
duction has been ascribed immediately
to the Importation of alfalfa seed. Im
mediately following its appearance
strenuous efforts were made and
stringent measures adopted to prevent
its spread and, if possible, to eradicate
it.
Russian thistles grow from the seed
each year and if no seed is produced
eventually there will be no thistles.
When young the individual plants are
easily killed by cutting off at the sur
face of the ground, and whole fields
of them are destroyed by carefully
plowing them under. Nearly all au
thorities agree, however, that wher
ever present In large quantities or scat
tered over wide areas their eradication
is difficult and without the untiring co
operation of those in the infested dis
tricts it will fail utterly.
It is generally reported that all live
stock relish the pasturage afforded by
thistles for the three or four growing
months each year, and sheep and cat
tle particularly like It, abandoning oth
er herbage in its favor, even breaking
, through fences In their eagerness to
graze upon it, rather than be confined
to the prairie or buffalo grass.
Thistles of course are most valuable
for pasturage when young and tender,
but live stock will eat, apparently
with relish, the matured plants In the
fields, when damp and soft, sometimes
even preferring them to the green
grass. When Intended for hay It is
agreed that thistles preferably should
not be grazed upon.
Of those Interviewed most persons
agree that the so-called thistle hay
quite favorably corresponds In feeding
value with that of native grasses and
some even assert that it is equal to al
falfa, which it is said to resemble in
sorne respects when properly cured and
handled. .At all events, from a gener
al survey of the reports, thistle hay
is considered by those who have used
it as being very nutritious and fat
tening, and cattle and sheep, with
no other feed, can be sustained
throughout the winter In as fair con
dition as when other ordinary forage
is used. It is also indicated that horses
and mules do not seem to care so
much for nor do so well on thistle hay
as do other stock, and hogs will not eat
It at all, although they relish the
thistles when cut and fed green.
Small grains, such as wheat, rye and
oats, are easy victims of the thistles.
Crops that can be frequently cultivat
ed, like corn, can been successfully
grown, other conditions being favora
ble, in spite of the thistles, as the fre
quent cultivation necessary for the
best development of the corn greatly
retardsand dwarfs the growth of those
not killed by it, but lands badly infest
ed with Russian thistles are at best
much depreciated for general farming.
The thistles are cut for hay with
mewers, ordinarly when eight or twelve
inches high and blooming, before the
stems become hardened and woody.
The methods of handling after cutting
are various. Some rake and stack
immediately: others let the plant wilt,
then cure in shock and haul from the
fields as used or stacking at con
venience. Russian thistle seeds probably were
brought to the United States in flax
seed from Russia, and the presence of
the plant in any alarming numbers was
first noted In South Dakota, where it
rapidly spread to North Dakota, Min
nesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Col
orado and other sections, and regard
less of locations, soil, conditions or cli
mate seemed to thrive and multiply.
But along the line a fierce fight has
been waged against it, although often
with little avail, and nothing but the
vigilant co-operation by the Inhabi
tants of infested districts Isjikely ever
to bring about Its extermination.
Manhattan What date has been
finally fixed for the coronation?
Broadway I don't know. It looks
as If the blame thing were going to
be forgotten before It happens.
Paresis (reading paper) Well, that
seems right.
Glglamps What do you mean?
Paresis First they operated on the
king, and now they are cutting out
most of the coronation.
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Judging by early indications John Drew's new play "The Mummy and
the Humming Bird" will be an unqualified success. The play goes to
to point a moral to husbands who neglect their wives. As the husband
engrossed in scientific pursuits, JohnDrew allows his wife. Miss Marga
ret Dale, to fall beneath the fascinations of the villain, the "humming
bird" of the title.
COMEDIENNE'S RAP RISE TO FAME
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Hattie Williams, the winsome comedienne, is one of the chief sup
ports of the "RogecJJrothers in Harv ard." which is. now attacking the
risibilities of the New York theatre public. Miss Williams' rise in the
histrionic world has been rapid.
ftMlly fytirlooms
Priceless to
A peculiar characteristic of certain
Lincoln men and women is their fond
ness for some bit of old furniture or
wearing apparel, head gear, or In fact,
any article that has become dear to
them by reason of the associations that
cluster about them and recall recollec
tions of a day that has passed into
shadow land. A lady of wealth who
has a beautiful home filled with furni
ture of rich design, cares more for an
ugly old chair made of cheap wood
that belonged to her mother than all
the fine articles with which she is sur
rounded. This old chair, which is kept
in a sunny corner of her boudoir, re
vives pathetic memories of her child
hood spent In a distant state, under the
humble roof of her parents. When
she married a bright young business
man, who is now her husband, and
started a bride for her future home,
her mother, with tears and
many farewell kisses, begged
her to take the chair that
she had first rocked In when a child,
and exacted a promise that she would
cherish It because it was a gift from
mother. This lady when dressed for
some social function or an evening at
the opera with costly Jewels on her
delicate white hands, often goes to
where this ugly faded chair stands and
fondles It and cries over it as it brings
back to her the loving face of the dear
one who folded her tired, and toll-worn
hands and passed away from earthly
scenes years ago.
Money cannot buy a spinning wheel
that is owned by a young woman that
lives In the south part of town. It
belonged to her grandmother and is
a quaint relic of the days of log cab
ins and homespun clothes. Many
people have seen It and It arouses
great curiosity in the minds of her
friends and acquaintances. Some that
have a taste for the antique covet it
and offer her a good round price, but
nothing would induce her to sell the
old spinning wheel.
An old man who is well fixed In a
financial way and Is free, as a rule,
with his coin, persists in wearing an
ancient weather-beaten silk hat that
he bought over thirty years ago. The
women of the house call him down if
he starts out with the old plug on his
head and he Is compelled to change.lt
for a shining black derby, but If he
can find an opportunity to sneak out
of the house with the stove-pipe and
escape detection he will do it. He has
been known to wrap it up in a news
paper, walk out and throw the derby
in the yard and don the forbidden head
covering. Why does he love this relic
of other days? Because it was the hat
he wore when he was married to his
sweet old wife, then a young and hand
some girl, and the sweet memories that
hallow those times are kept green by
the wearing of the battered old tile.
One of our business men has an old
silver watch of no particular value, but
he would not trade it for a farm. It
was carried by his father, a gallant
soldier of the civil war, who kept it
with him during four years' of hard
service, and the case shows the bullet
marks of the enemy. The old watch
more than once saved the life of his
father, who Is still living, hale and
hearty, and the shot and battered
time piece and its history Is more
precious to the son than anything he
possesses except his good wife and
two sweet children.
31 At -i
Vlsitor (at Insane asylum) My!
these are bad cases, aren't they?
Guide Yes. sir. This Is the ping
pong ward.
"I see the Smiths have taken a pew
farther forward."
"Yes: Mrs. Smith has been having
extraordinary luck at bridge."
