Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-03-13
WEEDS INDISPENSABLE.
Ainslee.s Magazine.


The manner in which weeds are known
to improve poor soil forms remarkable
scientific discovery. Their roots extend
into the sitter and more compact subsoil.
where no ordinary plant can reach, and
after loosening and opening it up so that
air and water can have action upon IT.,
suck up from below great quantities OF
potash salts and phosphoric acid. When
these weeds are. plowed under or die,
these salts and acids can be utilized by
the cereals and root crops which live
upon them. For instance, wheat and po-
tatoes flourish well where these weeds
have gone before and done the work of
getting tn necessary food for them from
the sub-soil ana 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 march lands, which are deficient
in potash, a thing necessary in all farm
ing land On these the deeper rooted
legumes, such as gorse, broom, altalta'
lupines, sulla and the perennial beans are
of great value. Their roots not only reach
down very deep and bring UP potash from
thes ub-soil in the manner described, but
their leaves take great quantities OF nitro
gen from the air. Now, when SOIL IS
rich in potash and nitrogen it is good SOIL
and as these plants die and leave their
gathered potash and nitgrogen on the
surface. the sandy and marshy soils be-
come good land. All the farmer has to
do is plow these rotting weeds under ana
he has land on which he can raise cereals
root crop and tobacco-that hardest
most wearing plant upon soil.
The government has induced farmers
to try the Florida beggar weed. One ex-
perimenter reported that by planting 1t
in his field and blowing under the annual
crops for two successive years, the SOIL
had been completely changed in texture
and color Another farmer discovered
that a crop of beggar weed turned under
will. when decomposed, retain near the
surface in ready reach of the roots OF
succeeding crops not only all the nitrogen
that IT took out of the atmosphere, but
also whatever fertilizers were subsequent
Iv applied. A third reported that all his
field produced more luxurious crops after
having been given over one EeaSOn 10
rank growth of this weed.
To find out how much chemical value
this weed really takes from the air ana
the sub-soil, the government planted
sandy field (bare of any of the qualities
on which ordinary cereals and vegetables
con thrive) with beggar weed, and when
the crop was at its height harvested IT,
root and ALL The crop was then reduced
TO ashes and the result analysed. 1t was
found that every ton of beggar weed
ashes contained sos pounds OF lime zSU
pounds of phosphoric acid, and ASH pounds
of potash. Twenty to twenty-five tons OF
beggar weed hay were required TO make
one ton OF ashes, but every acre yielded
four tons of beggar weed. 1t was figured
out that at a four ton yield per acre,
which is an average, one acre Of beggar
weed would yield $50 pounds o. nitrogen,
worth fifteen cents a pound, or $2Z'oO
worth of nitrogen. and potash and phos-
phoric acid worth $5.25, making total
of S27. rs worth of fertilizing chemicals ia
ken from an acre of soil worth nothing
at all.