The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1858-07-21
From the Farmer and Planter.
!" r E ST AND ED S."

FROM the Farmer and Planter.
crest AND WEEDS"
Mr. Editor: We have watched with some
interest the battle Of weeds of which your
excellent journal has for some time past been
the field. We are warm advocate Of this
much abused plant regarding il as the plan.
ter's best ally IN opposition to the steriity
which almost necessarily follows our clean
system Of tillage. Your position Of hostility
to weeds and necessarily 10 the common sys.
TEN OF resting land, strike US as against all
science. as well as experience. How did our
globe become originally fertile but by that
very process which We wrongly call rest I!
Geologists tell us that the globe was original.
ly mass Of rocks, and these gradually Olsen
tegrating by the atmospheric influence, be-
came the basis Of all soils; that upon this
simple soil the ruder forms Of plants sprung
up-plants we fancy to which the hog weed
and fennel would be marvels of vegetable de-
velopment; that these decaying and becom-
ing incorporated with the debris Of the rocks,
formed a better soil, giving life to a better
form OF vegetation, which in tnrn was added
to the cumulative fertility of the mass. And
thus has the process ever since gone on. The
fertility Of the different soils resulting in the
main from the original rocks which composed
their basis. Now, when man comes in with
his cultivation, he but arrests this benign pro.
cess of nature. So long as he takes crops
from the soil without adding anything in the
form OF manure, exhaustion must follow; but
as soon as he steps out Of the way-giyes up
his fields to rest, nature again takes up her
fertilzing process, and the rapdity of resto-
ration.wil depend upon the degree of exhaus-
tion which has taken place in the soil, and the
original character Of its basis. This theory
is entirely sustained by the experience Of
every one. Who has not observed the i'm
proyement which takes place in the corners
Of fences-rapil where the soil is rich, and
when poor or Exhausted, slower but still steady,
while the cultivated fields are becoming less
productive The whole process Of the for.
nation Of good soil from the barren subsoi,
may be observed from ditch banks or upon
/ the leyes thrown up TO protect our river lands.
At first they are entirely barren, but soon
coating Of grass is formed, next weeds appear,
then shubbery aud trees, and thus in compa-
ratiyely in few years. that which was yel.
low inert mass, becomes black mould teem-
ing with luxuriant vegetation. We must
concedc. Of course, that the Improvement in
these cases is more rapid than we have ever
experienced, or must expect in our cultivated
fields, and this 10 our mind must be ascribed
I 10 two causes: FIRST, the subsDil which is
! thrown out is in virgin state. Having been
beyond the reach Of cultivated or natural crops,
| il possesses intact all the inorganic elements
necessary for vegetable life. Secondly, from
the loose and spongy surface which these
banks present, they must rapidly absorb car.
bonic acid ammonia from the atmosphere, and
thus become early and largely prepared to
sustain vegetable life. But what takes place
here. certainly dues mt take place in all rest.
ed soils. Nature seeks 70 restore that which
man has taken away. But like patient re-.
covering from disease. the strength regained
is in proportion TO that possessed before.
v Ii is scarcely necessary that | should re-.
mind any of your readers why this improve
ment occurs-that plants feed upon tile al.
mospherc as well as upon the soil so that
when they decay, something more IS return
ed than was taken from the soil. Again,
not only do plants feed upon the soil proper,
as well as the atmosphere, but they send down
t
mineral elements where they abound most,
and thus BY the process Of vegetation. the soil
holds tributary both the atmosphere and it.
own subsoil. Seeing, then. Mr.. Editor, thi.
simple fertilizing process Ol nature, aud that
weeds are her iayoritc instruments in The
work, il seems rather ungratelul to stigma.
tizc them as pests. That they are sometime:
troublesome in the grain field. NAV be true
but the cotton planter would do well TO ex.
change for them the greater pest ol grass.
Now frequently happens that nature ma,
be assisted by art, instead Of leaving hel
TO work in her own way and with her owl
tools, results may be more expeditionsly OBJ
tanned BY supplying her with better tools
Hence IN countries where land IL high ans
labor comparatively cheap. enlightened poll
cy has taught that where the elements Of fer
tIlity are not supplied in the direct form o
manures, IL is always cxpedient not 20 rel,
upon the spontaneous vegetation Of the soil
but to furnish a crop which, by its grcate
capacity ofiecding, both upon tie atmosphcr,
aud snbsoil, will more rapidly effect the worl
Of restoration. hut with us the case is IA
different. We have cheap land and compa
ratiyely high labor, and we doubt whethc
any crop which could be put upon the land
possesses such advantages over the indigo
J nous growth Of the soil as TO compensate 70
the labor of seeding.
Some Of our weeds (the hog aud star weed
I for cxample,) possess those Characteristic
which would indicate them excellent rcnoya
!. tors of The sofia spOngy leaf aud stem, an,
zap root of yer, considerable length. I'd
mnnd RufIin. in his enthusiastic admiration