Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-10-13
influence Of Plants ON Each other.

Practical Farmer.
Influence OF Plants ON Each Other.
A few years ago we heard very sensi
BILE and observing farmer say that q crop
of corn would not follow crop of swedes
or rulabsgas. He had tried tin sucha way
as to get very striking results to corroboT-
ate his assertion, the piece of corn extend
ing beyond the line of the patch of swedes
of the preceding year, and the injury to
the corn was 80 clear aud unmistakable,
that you could see the very liue of the
swedes all through the corn patch.
From that day to this, we have been on
the watch for facts bearing upon this
point, not only with reference to this par
ticular plant, but with view to ascertain,
80 far as possible, the relation which vari-
GUS plants sustain to each other as shown
in their habits of growth, some being sup
posed to be good neighboTs and others
not; some growing better in connection
with or in close proximity to other plants
of a different species, than when alone or
at distance from those species, and 9th
ers not getting ON at all in such a neigh
borhood, by having other plants or other
species to associate with. In other words,
promoted or accelerated by certain kinds
of neighbors, and retarded or interfered
with by others, and this general law in
the vegetable world is probably much more
extensive than appears at first sight.
This law or fact in the vegetable king
dom was known even to the an, lent Ro-
mans, for they noticed how the vine loved
the elm, and they went so far as to call
that tree the husband of the grapevine,
and took particular pains to set them to.
gether, that the one might cling to and
support itself on the lofty and graceful
arms of the other, and it is even supposed
that the elm was first introduced into Eog.
land by the Romans for the sake of the
vineyards which they planted. At the
same time they knew that the vine had
enemies as well as friends, and they would
not grow it near the cabbage with which
old Cato said it was at "enmity"
This class of facts was known also, to
some extent at least, through the later
middle ages, for in treatise n agricul-
ture as early as 1908, it is said "because
there is natural friendship and love be-
tween certain trees, you must set them the
nearer together, as the vine and the olive,
the pomegranate and the myrtle; Others
have natural hatred, as the vine with
the filbert and the bay" And 30 the ac.
cacia tree was reputed to be "bad neigh.
Dor" for most plants and the cabbage
tribe has the same reputation, while the
poppy likes to associate with the pea, and
wheat and rye grow much more vigor, usly
with tares than they do without. Indeed
many other friendships and emnities
might be pointed out among plants.
Such facts, OF course, have not failed tC
/ of pt tba attention of uoiapti6c mar, md
the reasons for them have been investi
ga ed, and the conclusion seems to be that
plants excrete from their roots, and leaves
substances which are grateful to certain
other plants and nstasteful or iniEical tC
still other plants. in recent work by an
English writer, Mr.. G. w. johnson, or
the Science and Practice of Gardening,
he says: I" If the roots of plants do give
out peculiar and varying matters to the
soil which sustains them, 1t aids to explain
why one rotation of crops is sup rior Il
another, as well as why following IS ben
eticial. Fallowing gets rid, by dtcomposi
ton, of any offensive eXcrementitious mat
ters, as well as accumulates that which Ii
desirable to plants; and one crop maN
succeed better after some predecessor
than Others, because their exuvie are NOR,
salutary." This opinion was held b.
Professor johnson, who says THAT thu
roots of plants do possess the power o
excreting some of the substances whicl
are held in solution by their sap on its re
turn from the stem, and which, havluJ
performed their offices in the interior O
the plant, are no longer fitted TO ministe
to its substance and growth. This excre
tory power is not confined to the emission
of inorganic substances; other sOlubl
matters of organic origin are also pei
mitted to escape into the soil, althoug
whether of such a kind as must be il
furious to the plant from which they hav
been given out, or to such degree a
alone to render rotation of crops necei
sary, has not been hitherto we'll dete
mined" If any father testimony {
scientific men were needed upon tn
point, 1t might be stated that Prof Liebi
is of the opinion that plants throw out e.
crements, for he remarks: "The cxper
ments of Macaire Princep show III,
! plants made to vegetate with their roots
! a weak solution of acetate of lead an
, then in rain water, yield to the latter a
the salt of lead which they had previou
absorbed. They return, therefore, to til
soil, all matters unnecessary to their eXis
ence. When bulbous ~oots, such
: hyacihths, are allowed t. grow in plsi
water, this gradually acquires brow
color. 1t therefore cannot be denied thi
T, excrements are actually given off b
plants, although very possibly they do nj
produce them to the same degree"
4 1t must be regardedas settled that plan
= emit soluble matters from their roots, bl
Z this matter differs very much in diff rel
l kinds of plants that is, this matter from
7 leguminous plant is unlike that from
e cereal. 1t may or may not be such as Il
cereal will take up, but it will be likely
e suit plant of a different character fro
D that by which it was excreted or given Of
/ Among the friendships of plants ii b,
G recently been discovered that stror
4 attachment" or affinity" exists betwee
! the mangold and the swedish iurnip, ar
I careful experiment has established II
(, fact that even on land where the sweC
| has failed for the last few years, if SOW
8 in the same rows with the mangold, it a
] tains remarkable growth. Pefhal
T alternate rows would be found sufficient
1 near, but in the trials alluded to the
: we're drilled into the same rows, the mai
| Colds first, at the rate of four pounds
4 seed per acre, another drill machine fc
! loving, running one hole only, with
pint of swede seed in the same row
, This practice has met with perfect SUI
cess without single failure for the la
six or seven Massachusetts PLOug
; man.