The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1902-10-09
wEEDS ARE INDISPENSABLE
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"The manner In which, weeds arc
known to improve soil forms remark
able scientific discovery. Their roots
extend into the sitter and more COM
pact subsoil, where no ordinary plant
can reach, and after loosenlng and open
ing 1t up so that air and water can have
action upon 1t. suck up from below
great quantities OF potash salts and
phosphorio acid. When these weeds are
plowed under or die, these salts and
acids are left near the surface, where
they can be utilized by the cereals and
instance, wheat and potatoes flourish
well where these weeds have gone be-
fore and done the work of getting the
necessary food for them from the sub
soil and the air.
much land is of no value until these
weeds come In and make 1t so. This Is
particularly true of sandy soils and re-
claimed marsh lands, which are def.
cient In potash, thing necessary In
all farming land. On these the deeper
rooted legumes, such ms gorse, broom,
alfalfa, lupines, sulla and the perennial
beans are of great value. Their roots
not only reach down very deep and
bring up potash from the subsoIl In the
manner described, but their leaves take
great quantities OF nitrogen from the
air. Now, when a sol. is rich In pot
ash and nitrogen II is good soil, and as
these plants die and leave their gath
cred potash and nitrogen on the surface
the sandy and marshy soils become
good land. All the farmer has TO do Ii
pillow these rotting weeds under and he
has good land on which he can raise
cereals, root crops and tobacco-that
hardest and most wearing plant upon
soil.
THE government has induced farm
ers to try Florida beggar weed. t1fs
experlmenter reported that by planting
1t In his field and blowing under the an
nual crops for two successive years
the soil had been completely. changed
In texture and color. Another farm
er discovered that a crop OF beggar
weed turned under VIII, when decom-
posed, retain near the surface In ready
reach OF the roots of succeeding crops
not only all the nitrogen that ir took
out Of the atmosphere, but also what
ever fertilizers were subsequently mp.
piled. A third reported that an his
fields produced more luxurious crops
after having been given over one sea-
son to Il rank growth OF this weed.
ITO find out how much chemical val
ne this weed really takes from the air
and the subsoIl. the government plant
ed a sandy field lbare OF any OF the
qualities on which ordinary cereals aud
vegetables thrive with beggar weed.
and when the crop was Mt its height
harvested IL, root and all. The crop
was then reduced to ashes and the re-
suit Analysed. II was found that every
ton OF beggar weed ashes contained sos
pounds OF lime, $50 pounds OF phos.
phoric acid and 49, pounds of potash.
Twenty or twenty-five tons OF beggar
weed hay were required 10 make one
ton Of ashes, but every acre yielded four
tons OF beggar weed. 1t was figured
out that a four-ton yield per acre.
which Is an average, one acre OF beg
gar weed would yield $50 pounds of nj
trogen, worth 10 cents a pound, or
$3.50 worth of nitrogen and potash
and phosphoric acid worth S5.25, max
ing total of $22.75 worth Of fertiliz-
Ing chemicals taken from an aere OF
soil worth nothing at all.--St Louis
Star.