The Russian Thistle Invasion
Okanogan County declares war on an invasive weed threatening local agriculture.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The county commissioners propose to enforce the law that provides for the eradication of noxious weeds. The weed that is the most serious menace to the county is the Russian thistle. By some means the seed of this thistle secured a foothold in the county several years ago, and the plant has spread with alarming rapidity. When dry in the fall it breaks off near the ground and travels with every gust of wind like the tumble weed, scattering seed along its path. It is difficult to kill out after it once takes root, and only the utmost vigilance, hard labor and a strict enforcement of the law can eradicate the vegetable pest. Not only must property owners be compelled to use every endeavor to stamp out the thistle, but the authorities must see that it is cleaned from public unoccupied lands and the highways. A campaign against the dangerous weed cannot be inaugurated any too soon.
“A campaign against the dangerous weed cannot be inaugurated any too soon, nor pushed with too much vigor.”
Invasive species management continues to be a major civic struggle in the Pacific Northwest. The Russian thistle (tumbleweed) remains a persistent agricultural headache in the arid Okanogan region, mirroring these 1909 concerns.
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