Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-11-14

ing corn or wheat and paying no at
tention to the weeds.
The major portion Of the plant food
is of no value to the growing plant
unless it is dissolved in the soil water.
If the weeds take up or absorb all Of
the excess water in which the plant
food is found it is plain that the
wheat or corn plant will be partially
starved.
There may be IN abundance of food
in the soil, but it is of no value to the
plant unless it can be utilized. 1t can
not be utilized unless it is dissolved
in water. The weeds, drawing away
moisture continually, prevent the de-
sirable plants from growing as rapid
ly as they should.
Several hundred pounds of water
must be taken up by the roots of a
vigorous plant, under ordinary condi-
tfons, and evaporated out through the
leaves before the plant is enabled to
form n pound of dry plant material.
The water is needed in the plant to
keep it from willing and to carry on
the ordinary life processes. If not
enough water is present for this work
the plant becomes dWarfed. Many
weeds are shallow rooters. They take
the major portion of their water from
the top ten inches of soil. If there
are but two weeds to every square
foot of surface the amount of water
IA bon I'm hr 4har, IN fh@ aN,,rco IF n
month is really surprising in quality.
ALL MOISTURE REMOVED BY THE
WEEDS THUS is A DIRECT LOSS
TO THE CROP. The weeds take
from the soil the moisture that con-
tains plant food that would otherwise
be used by the crop. In other words
the weeds act in the same manner as
a tapeworm does in the %alimentary
canal of an animal.
The plant foods found in the soil
such as commo table salt, etc. Ger
tain of these salts are abundant
enough in the soil at any time to feed
a crop for a season. Others, such as
saltpeter (nitric acid, are liberated,
become available to the plant, Or are
rendered soluble, only gradually. That
is, there may be enough of the salt
peter in the soil to last a crop only a
few weeks. AS it is used, however,
more of this food is rendered soluble
so that it can be used by the plant.
We have this process going on in the
soil during the growing season. The
humus or vegetable substance CO..
stantly yields a certain quantity of
s%altpeter, and the growing plants are
at the same time using a portion of
this. When the growing crop con-
tains weeds there are two classes of
plants drawing on this food substance.
Nearly all of the weeds begin flower
ing and ripening seeds long before the
wheat or flax or corn begins maturing
it's seeds. Now a plant that is flower
er amount of nutriment or food from
the soil, proportionately, than does a
plant having only green leaves.
Perhaps enough has been said to
show that weeds are a positive injury
to the farmer in many ways. 1t must
always be remembered that they at
tack the profit end of a crop. 1t is not
difficult to raise enough grain to pay
expenditures, but every dollar taken
on as profit is a matter of increased
difficulty. Every factor that decreases
the output of a crop, but does not De
crease the cost Of raising the same, is
one that should be eliminated. 1t is
thoroughly believed that the weed
question in this state today is such a
factor, and any work looking toward
the relief of this situation shoxld re-
ceive careful attention at tho hands
Of all farmers.