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THE SOUTHERN WORLD, JUNE 1, 1882, Weeds In Agriculture. The relation of weeds to agriculture is so intimate that farming has almost come to be a business of weed killing. It is therefore to the point to show how this destruction can best be done, and not spend any time on that old and trite growl of showing up a weed in its worst light. It can be taken for granted that a weed is a bad plant and one that is not desired, and the vital part of the matter is to know how to best rid the land of the pests. In the first place it should be understood that a weed is not so different in constitu tion from a useful plant as to be killed by any agent, or in nny way that will not also destroy the crop plants. There has frequent ly been a cry for some substance that could he put on the soil that would make it clean of weeds. This reminds us of the man that we saw not long ago that had a kind of ma nure to put around the apple trees to keep the coddling moth from the apples. There is nothing that can be dropped in a hill of corn that will make it weed proof, and at the same time permit of a vigorous growth of the corn. No panacea can be applied to a field of wheat that will destroy the Quack grass, and leave the crop unharmed. When a far mer has to deal with weeds he must adopt methods which if applied to useful plants would lead to their destruction. Weeds have seeds! This is not a new fact by any means; but it is here stated that the following part may he made the more im pressive. Weeds grow from seeds just os other plants do; they may have other methods of propagation, but they go from place to place in the seed form more gener ally than any other way. Many of our weeds came from Kurope, and then crossed the sea as seeds. Many of our weeds are spreading Westward, and they doit by being carried in various waysin the form of seed. Tiie first measure to be taken against weeds is therefore to not sow their seeds. Clover seed has probably been the vehicle by meuns of which scores of kinds of weeds have be come wide-spread. For example, a farmer in Michigan buys clover seed from New York or Massachusetts, and sows his fields with it; lie may at the sunie time introduce into his mellow soil the narrow-leaved plan tain, the ox-eye duisy, or some one or more other obnoxious plants. Tiie easiest way to kill weeds is while they ..are in tiie seeds, provided tiie weed seeds are recognized. Kvery farmer cannot examine every seed he sows; but he can be very guarded in buying seeds, especially of those kinds that from their small size may be the meuns of introducing untold trouble info otherwise comparatively cleun land. Next to the keeping of the weed seeds out of the ground is the killing of weedssoon af ter germination. There are a number of reasons for this. First, they can be killed with greater ease while young. Take for example, the weeds in a root crop; if they are destroyed as they first make their ap pearance, the work is light to what it is a few weeks later. In the second place, the effect on the crop is not so bad. If weeds are left to grow until they are of considera ble size they extract n great deal of nourish ment from the soil that the crop plants need, nnd in not getting it they are enfeebled. Kvery weed that grows takes tiie food from tho soil, nnd as weeds are better able to sur vive in a struggle with cultivated plants, they will, if left to themselves, come out masters of the situation. The ancestors of the weeds have had to steal a living so-to- speuk, nnd it has become asccond nature for weeds to get into the ground as quickly as possible. The weeds are very sure to look out for their own kind or kindred and will ripen and spread a large Held of seeds. Look at the Canada thistle, one of the worst of weeds. It not only ripens a host of weeds but provides each one with an airy balloon by means of which it is taken far away by tbo wind, thus securing a wide dissemina tion of the seeds of this pest. One farmer may keep his thistles from growing while an adjoining neighbor lets his thistles seed down the whole region round about. Then there are the tick seeds and “beggar's lice,’’ and “pitch forks’’—all weeds and bad ones, that leave their seeds provided with hooks to catch unto the hair and wool of animals and are in that way carried fur from the plant that produced them. If weeds can not be killed in the seed, and it is out of the question to kill them when young, the next best thing is to keep them from going to seed. This is a difficult thing to do, nnd whatever may be said on weed-killing, it will be a longtime before we have no weeds. Does it look like extermin ation when by actual count a single "Pass- ley” plant has been known to produce a mil lion seeds! and that in the short space of a few weeks. Weeds are thoroughly bad 1 In one sense they are and in another they are not. Indi rectly they improve our agriculture, making it more systematic, offerings bounty or pre mium for labor. Without weeds the lazy man would stand more nearly on a par with the worker. Without weeds the soil would not be tilled as much as it now is, when properly tended; they may be just that Bort of a spur to industry that it is well for every farmer to fee). This is cer tainly looking on the bright side of the mat ter ; the side that says to the eternally vigi lant that theirs is the victory. Weeds may be like sins, or rather the temptations to sin, which overcome the weak but add strength to those tbnt come off conquerors. This is a closing argument in favor of being a strong fighter in the battle against the weeds. Electricity In Agriculture. This is an age of electricity—one in which very many things are done not only with lightning speed but with lightning itself- Look at the Wonderful nature of our present transatlantic communication. Think of the quickness and ease with which we talk from one city to another both by signs and sounds with the electric telegraph and by the voice in the telephone. The world thought no greater achievement could be made, when steam was hnrnessed and made the servant of man; but tbe past few years has led to still greater triumphs over the material world and that subtile force we call electric ity is now a messenger of swiftness nnd a gi gantic factor in a progressive civilization. What we may hope for from electricity as a helper for the farmer no one is ready to state. It does not seem reasonable that the earliest ofullurts and the most essential of all human occupations should not in time come on for its large share of benelitsfrom the subjugation of electric force. Kven now we hear from across the water that plowing has been successfully done by electricity in the (lelds. The French furmers have har nessed lightning to the plow and with good results. If this force can turn the furrow it is reasonable to suppose that it can reap the grain, bind it into sheaves, thresh the same and carry it to mill. It is truly hard to guess how great may be the progress in this direction within the next twenty years. But electricity as it is now employed has much more for the farmer than he may at llrst think. It is the almost universally ndopted means of quick transportation of news, and by it the coming of u storm may be sent forward in advance so that the far mer may know the fuel and make the nec essary preparations that the storm may not be a source of loss. The farmer should avail himself of this swift-footed messenger more than he lies done in the past. The signal service could do very little without the tele graph, and without the farmer uses the in formation that is thus collected and dis seminated the service cun only partly ac complish the work it has been established to perform. There are very few things that do more damage to the farmer than heavy storms in haying and harvesting time, nnd millions of doltais might be saved if the furmers would only uvail themselves of the information which is brought os near to them as the tel egraph will allow. We therefore urge upon all agricultural districts to do something to put the furmers in closer communication with tbe signal service. Electricity is already within the reach of the great mass of farmers. Some one says: “If I only knew that it would not rain to-day I would cut a field of clover.” The signal service can tell him in nine cases out of ten what the weather is to be for the next twenty-four hours with good and valu able predictions of what it will be fora day or more after. last the good work of .fore, warning and therefore forearming the farm ing classes be pushed forward and by all means let electricity be u swift handmaid in this scheme of economy. There is another aspect to our subject. The untamed electricity of the clouds has its influence upon the farmer. In its wild swiftness it strikes destruction upon build ings and other property. If we cannot con veniently yoke the lightning to the plow or make it the messenger of good and saving news we should at least do our best to pre vent its doing serious damage. Much has been said for and against conduc tors of electricity, or in other words against lightning rods. There is no doubt but what many farmers and others have been severely humbugged by "lightning rod peddlers," The man who goes around putting up poor rods in a slipshod manner at an exorbitant price is the humbug, and not the principle of electric conduction. It is a well known fact in physics or natural philosophy, that some substances are better conductors of elec tricity than .others, and as in a thunder storm a certain amount of electricity is to pass from tbe cloud to the earth it will take the easiest passage. Metals are good conduc tors and when rods of them are put on build ings of the proper size and in the right way the building is rendered comparatively safe. A rod of iron three-fourths of an inch in diameter is large enough to conduct a heavy bolt of electricity. The form of the rod is of very little account and glass insulators are entirely unnecessary. It is to be remember ed that the electricity will take the easiest channel, or road to the earth therefore have the rod run as direct as possible from the top of tbe building to the wet earth. It was formerly thought that the tip of the rod should be of some bright metal and very sharp pointed; this is not required and the rod may be painted without injuring it. There is nothing about a lightning rod that a blacksmith cannot make—any fancy twists are foolishness and when made the rods can be put up by the farmer at a small fraction of the price demanded by the rod peddler. If the rods are for the houiie the upper end may project above the chimney and pass ss direct as possible to deep earth or better in to the well. Strong bolts should hold the rod in place, and above all see that no joint ever gets separated from which the descen ding lightning must make a leap in its pas sage and enter the building as the easiest way to the earth. The number of roils will depend upon the area of surface to be protected. As a general rule a rod will protect a space around the jioint equal to twice its height, though gen erally rods are placed nearer than this. There is no object to any number of rods on u building except expense. It should he fixed in mind that a badly erected roil is worse than no roil; and it is from this that roils have fallen in favor with many. The roil attracts the electricity and if it is not able to conduct it safely away the building is more apt to be struck. Uooil roils, which muy he very simple, are protection, nnd every far mer should diminish the risks of his farm property by erecting them on his buildings, thus overcoming one of the evil relations of electricity to agriculture. PKKMIUM fro. IS. (Order by number.) POCKET MICROSCOPE, Mounted In liard rubber; ovnl pattern ease. A neat, convenient, uml useful article. For ONE 1)01.1. A It we will send the South kiin Would for u year and give the microscope as a premium to tbe subscriber. To those wanting the mlcroacope separately, we will send It postage paid, for thirty cents. Address SOUTHERN WORLD, Atlanta, Ua. PKKMIUM fTO. 13. (Order by number.) Wliat will IheWeather be To-morrow? POOL'S SKJNAI. SERVICE BAROMETER, Or Sfnnn-Oltua and Thrrninmetrr (Mmbturd,' WILL TELL YOU. It will detect ami linilcato correctly, any change In tile weather, twelve to forty-eight hours lu advance. It will tell what kind of a storm Is approaching uud from what ipiarter It comes, Ihrmrrt can plan their work according to Its predictions. It will save llfty times Its cost in a single season. There Is an accu rate thermometer uttuched, which alone, 1s worth the price of the combination. Thlsgreut weather In dicator Is endorsed by the mast eminent physicians, professors and sclentlHc men of the day to be the iM'st In the world. Tbe Thermometer and ltaromeler are pul lu a nicely finished black walnut frame and (iilutil deep, so nothing can strike the surface, with sliver plated trimmings, etc., making it a beautiful os well us use ful ornament. It Is composed of various chemiculs und Is very accurate lu foretelling the changes In the weuther, particularly high wind, storm und tempest. It can be curried about or shaken up without fear of Injury. mizk or Inhthuhkmt.—Length 9,H Inches; width 3h; weight 0 ounces. THE MOUTHERS WORLD for one year and Pool's Digital Service Barometer for ONE DOLLAR AND NIXTY CENTS. Barom eter separately, (I. Address HOUT1IERX WORLD, Atlanta, da. PKKMIUM XO. 52. (Order by number.) HARMONICAS, (icrmau make, Hlchter Concert wltb bell attachment, and ten holes lu box; will delight tbe boys. THE SOUTHERN WORLD for one year, aud the Harmonica forONEDOLLAR AND FIFTY CENTS. We will sell tbe Haruiou- lea separate at 75 cents. Address MOUTH ERN WORLD, Atlanta, Ua. PKKMIUM XO. O. 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