The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-09-01

fully keep up this loss it would take
millions of tons instead of 100000 or
AGO. 900 tons which we now import. If
this was done the nitrate beds of
Chile would ultimately be exhausted
and then starvation would stare us in
the face.
y
Fortunately nearly four-fifths of the
atmosphere is composed of free nitro
gen. This free nitrogen of the air
can not be used by plants until it is
worked over into nitrates. There is
one class of plants that can do this
and that is the legumes, or plants that
bear their seeds in pods, such as peas,
beans, clovers, vetches and the like.
Here is where comes in the valuable
work carried on by Prof. Piper. We
can restore our depleted soils by grow
ing these legumes. We need not buy
a pound of commercial nitrogen where
these can be grown. We can save
millions of dollars and not be cent
out, for the crops raised in many cases
will more than pay for all our labor
and leave our soils replenished.
Y
How many of our farmers have
found that immense crops OF potatoes
can be grown after alfalfa or clover!
The reason is plain. These latter
plants not only secure nitrogen from
the air to help their own growth put
leave a residue in the ground to help
the growth of other plants. There IS
a special reason why the presence OF
these stored nitrates helps the yleld
of potatoes. Nitrogen causes Vlgor-
orous growth of the tops OF plants.
Sometimes these tops are too vigorous
for the production of seeds. Hence,
where too much nitrogen is useo
grains like wheat and oats Will not
head we'll, the growth goes to the
stalks and leaves, rather than 10 the
seeds in the heads. But this Will not
apply to potatoes for the tuDers are
not the seeds of potatoes. me seeus
of potato vines grow where the plooIn
appears. When we plant potatoes we
do not plant seed at all, nothw1thstand-
ing we call them seed potatoes. Inc
tubers we plant are neither seed nor a
mart of the root of potato vines.
know we are apt to think of them as
mart of the root-system, but they are
not Botanically considered the tubers
are a part of the top and are never
found on the true root system, DuC
grow from the axis OF the leaves. FER
cival. in his Agricultural Botany
makes this statement: THAT the po-
fatoes are thickened pieces OF stems
is seen from a study of their origin;
the rhizomes, of which they are merely
the ends. arise in a normal manner IN
the axis of the leaves below the SOIL
and although they occur under grounu'
thew have no connection with the root
system of the plant" (page AID. This
exnIains why old alfalfa fields give
such enormous yields of potatoes. Inc
nitrogen left in the soil makes Vlgor-
ous growth of the tops of which the
tubers are a part, but very lew true
seeds are produced and sometimes not
any.
Il
Mrs. David Logan, of Granite Fails,
Wash. makes inquiry about raising
neaches in western Washington. In
the last issue of The Ranch this mat
for is considered at some length and
to this I would refer Mrs. Logan. She
saws that when they came onto their
place, nine years ago, Ih0i0 "TiN
peach trees there which were pearins
and have borne every year since. ihaC
is a good record in any section OF our
country. 1t seems to me that II hau
to deal with this matter, l would planI
some of the pits of these successful
peaches and see what the result woulu
be. She wants to know which Is the
better, Seeding or budded peaches,
That is a hard question to answer; IL
must be remembered that all pudoeu
peaches were once seedlings and nave
been perpetuated by working some Oh