Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-01-28
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AN ESSAY ON BRO0MSEDGE,
Read before tie Mdian Land agricultural


Society,":
Mr.. President, and Gentlemen of the Society:
At former meeting of this Society, you
saw proper to assign to me the task of wri-
ting an essay on the subject of Broomsedge.
am required, 1st, to give my views on the
best mode of eradicating it. End, to answer
the question "Is broomsedge fertilizerT"
The first proposition may be disposed of in a
few words. As perennial plant (and they
are generally the most difficult to eradlcate)
it is as easily eradicated as any one of that
class. For its successful eradication-the
Improvement of the land-to facilitate the
cultivation-to promote the growth Of the
crop, which is Immediately to succeed 1t,
(Which 1 presume to be the object of its
eradication, } undoubtedly the best plan, is to
plow it under early in the fall, whilst it is
in green state 1t should be completely
turned over with a good turning plow. In
that condition it soon rots, aud becomes in
corporated with the soil. If not completely
reversed, or turned over, and its roots ex-
posed to the frost and sun, it will survive the
winter, and be very much in the way in the
cultivation, and will retard the growth Of
the crop; or from the "open" condition OF
the soil, the crop will be late in "storttng
off" in the Spring.
To the question; "ls broomsedge tertlll-
zer?" In strict sense it cannot be con-
sidered as SUCH 1t will not of itself,
render an exhausted soil fruitful. 1t will
not restore to the soil all the elements of
plants of which it has been robbed; but
that it is exhausted natures first attempt,
or effort at restoration, and will eventually
produce fertility of soil, I think there is no
doubt. With many persons, l lind that
poverty and sterility of soil seem to be asso-
ciated with the very idea of broomsedge; so
iuseperably connected in their minds, do
they seem to be, that they believe 1t to be the
cause and not the effect-as it often lS-ot
such sterility, and would say eradicate it,
exterminate it; an idea which the first pro-
position suggests, but science comes to its
rescue-nature herself cries out, let 1t alone.
It will grow and flourish where no other
plant will vegetate it will protect your car
cass of field from the scorching rays OF the
summers sun; it will preserve it from fur
Their teaching, and washing by the rains
Science teaches US that by its deep reaching
roots, it draws and brings up salts and min
erals from the subsoil by its stems and
leaves it imbibes elements from the atmos-
phere, which, when it is allowed to die and
rot where it has grown, will be converted
into food for higher order of plants, such
as briars, weeds, the pine, &c. Thus I'M
provement progresses, and eventually resto-
ration of soil will be established, and fertll-
ty produced not directly to be seen, but
indirectly, by this, to many, very contemptl-
BILE plant, broomsedge. 1t would give my
attempt more of scientific cast, if | were to
give you what is called the inorganic con,
stitueuts-the mineral ingredients-the salts
and miperals-which this plant is found to
contain when submitted to chemical anal ysis.
Not having met with one, am unable to do
so, and perhaps it would be unnteres:lng,
particularly to our anti-book farming men,
bers, if any such should be present.
feel willing to rest the truth Of the at-
frmative of this question, on the following
proposition, viz: All plants are more or less
improvers, and cannot be exhausters of the
soil if they are allowed to die and rot where
they have grown. No one it seems to me
upon reaection-prejudice aside-will at
tempt to coutrovert or dispute the truth OF
this proposition. Even man, who feeds
upon the richest and most extravagant pro-
ductions of the earth, would have removed
nothing from the soil, if when he died, his
body were left upon the surface of the earth,
and there allowed to rot. Says Lleblg,
"the enormous quantity of food which
man consumes, during the sixty years of his
life, and every constituent of it, that was
derived from our fields, may be obtained and
restored to them"
I have said that find that many persons
entertain the belief, or opinion, that broom
sedge exhausts land. One man, a very good