The Van Buren press., 1895-08-10
CRAB GRASS.
Better . Naked, Exposed Soil Than Cow
ering Of Crab Grass.

p.tter = Naked, Exposed Soil Than . Cow
ering Of Grab Grass.
It is fashionable for agricultural
writer's and editors to advise farmers
to grow crab grass for hay. In the
lirht Of our own experience and Cd.
servatiou. we consider this very bad
advice. As injurious ~ entire naked.
ness during summer Is TO our soil, We
would prefer nakedness and exposure
10 our summer sun to covering OF
crab grass. We admit that 1t makes =
cheap hay, which lis relished by all
kinds of stock, but not SO nutritious as
hay from pea vines. and but little
cheaper, when the heavier yield OF pea
vines per acre is considered. There
are three serious ebjectionsto growing
crab grass upon our cultivated lands,
viz: ~. sss-a
/. It stocks the soil with seed. which
will greatly increase the cost OF Guilt.
waiting the crop which is to follow, and
if any of the seed are ripe when the hay
is harvested, the manure from the AMI.
mails fed will contain the seed, which
pass through undigested and with their
vitality unimpaired on account OF their
small size, and consequently escape
from mastication.
9. 1t leaves the land full of tussocks
of roots and gives much trouble in the
preparation of the land for the next
crop. In fact, we rarely see land up.
on which crop of crab grass grew this
previnos year half prepared for the
next crop II it is put in good condi.
tion. the additional labor necessitated
by the presence of the crab grass roots
increases the cost Of producing the
next crop. f..45 .
3. It impoverishes the soil more than
any crop we have ever grown. Ger.
man millet is generally considered an
exhaustive crop, but the facts which
we give below show that crab grass 10
far more exhaustive than millet. 1t,
being true grass, is a nitrogen con.
sumner. Its multitude of fibrous roots,
parmeating every particle of the soil.
furnishing the means Of effecting .
thorough robbery.
While director of the Alabama ex-
pertinent station, we decided to com.
pare German millet and crab grass as
hay producers. We selected two meas
ured acres, which previous cropping
had shown to be Of equal fetility; pre-
pared them alike and applied equal
quantities of the same brand of corn-
mercial manure to the two acres. Tho
only difference in the treatment OF the
two was that German millet seed was
sown upon one and the crab grass al
lowed to grow upon the other.
The yield of hay upon the two acres
varied only 200 pounds in favor of the
crab grass, which was cut twice, the
millet once. The nextyear both acres
were planted to cotton and treated
alike in every respect.
From the termination OF the seed to
the maturity OF the crop, the crab grass
acre presented the appearance of an
unfertilized plot. The yield of cotton
was reduced one-half as the effect Of
the crop of crab grass the previous
year. In our opinion the injury which
a crop of crab grass causes is not com
pensated for by the value Of the cror
of hay grown.
Every farmer ID familiar with the in
furious effects Of this grass upon grow
ing crops. If they fully appreciated
It's effects upon the subsequent pro
ductiveness of the soil, they would put
forth more strenuous efforts to exter
inmate it.-Cor Agricultural South.