Arkansas weekly mansion., 1885-11-21
WEEDS AND MOISTURE.
An Important Point That Has Never se
ceiyed Due Attention.

An Important Point That Has Never kes
ceived Due Attention
In considering the III effect Of woods
upon . cultivated crop, the most COM
mon consideration is that the weeds rob
the soil Of fertility and so starve the
crop. While this is most true. and Is
not to be neglected for moment BY
the farmer. yet there is another con-
alteration which is more important shll,
and which has, we think. never yet
been referred to In this regard. W"
mean the consumption Of water by the
weeds and the starving Of the crop by
loss Of its needed moisture, as well as
BY the deprivation Of food.
The Indispensable necessity OF water
for the growth OF crop Is not nearly
so well thought Of as the need for what
is known as food, that is-the elements
which 90 to form the dry substance Of
the plants. Now, plants contain about
seventy per cent oil water and IN
this respect arc much like ANIMALS,
which contain about the same proper
t,on Of water to dry matter. The
greater necessity for water for the con-
duct Of the vital functions and the sns-
tensnce of animal lie was well shown
by the extraordinary fast Of forty-two
days undergone by DR.. Tanner few
Years ago, who lived solely upon water
for that length Of time. Three days
abstinence from water would have been
fatal to him. This fact applied to plant
growth will give us quite new view OF
the subject Of weeds.
A great number of experiments
made at the agricultural observatory
at Montsouris, France. few years
ago, shovel that to produce ten pounds
OF wheat (yrain) 1902 pounds Of wa
ter were consumed by the plants and
passed through their substance. DIR.
tawcs' experiments in the same di-
reciion have proved thas 1000 pounds
OF water are required by wheat
crop to enable IL to assimilats ono
mound of m neral matter from the
soil. For the consumption. then, of
100 pounds Of any mineral I'rtilizer.
or Of this quantity Of mineral matter
Of the soil, 100 tons Of water must be
used up by the crop. Wheat is less
exacting in this respect than any other
crop, for the larger the growth Of leaf
and stalk, the greater, proporlionate-
ly. Is the need OF water Consider
ing the comparatively vast proportions
of our magnificent corn plant it
Is almost beyond the bounds of
Imagination to realize the quantity of
water which passes through its broad
leaves to mature one acre Of crop.
Plants differ In their capacity or
areedness for the consumption OF
water. All farmers know how FIRE.
ouently tho corn leaves curl with
thirst, and how rarely the abundant
weeds exhibit any signs Of distress
We must confess the sight of weed
suffering for water in dry season is
one wc have not yet seen, while the
suffering crops arc never to be for
gotten.
The measure Of the water consumed
by the crop may be considered as the
measure OF the capacity Of the soil to
produce crop, For forty bushels OF
wheat per acre an amount OF water
must pass through the leaves Of the
plants equal to six inches In depth over
the whole surface, This quantity
must DO supplied in addition to that
which percolatcs through the soil and
that which cvaporates from il under
tho inlluerce Of the sun and the winds,
The whole average rainfall is equal to
only forty inches. Threc-fourths OF
this, at least, finds It's way into streams
without aiding in the growth Of any
crop; more than one-half falls in the
season when growth Is not active; thus
may bc seen how inadequate the water
supply is In the Nv rage years, and how
difiicnlt It Is to produce n full crop sim.
ply for want OF necessary water, II
crops take up water from the soil, much
more do the greedy weeds, which over
come the legitimate ten nts Of the soil.
and while they steal the solid food
from the crops they 10 infinitely moro
damage by abstracting the most 'ndis-
pepsabe water. How Jealous then the
farmer should be Of the veeds' How
active In preventing their growth ana
preserving the soil from waste, For a
wocd grown has already accomplished a
vast injury to the neighboring plants
one ragweed which lifts It's head above
the wheat, or tho potatoes, may have
done moro harm than twice It's compar-
atiyc size would lead tho farmer 10 sup
pose, and In q way in which he may
have never dreamed. II is to bc hoped
that this view OF this subject may lead
TO more determined efforts with farmers
to cleanse tho soil for while 1t may In
supposed that a crop Of weeds plowcd
In NAV return to the soil the fruits oil It's
robbery, II docs not recover the prcci.
cious moisture (which has boon taken
from the crop and which has passed on
aud has disappeared in the clouds from
whence it first came 10 do the farmer
service he has neglected TO avail HIM