Norwich bulletin., 1922-07-14
HOW EXPERIENCE UPsETs TEACHINGS IN
 FARMING
T EANKSA4A N~

subsequent slow erosion from the neigh boring hills had not brought down silt and soil enough to bury it. It was just about leveled with the surrounding soil. But when your blow struck into 1t, in going across the field, you recognized 1t at once. It was just an area of small, water rounded pebbles, none of them bigger than a big fist and running down to the size of pea. There wasn't enough dirt mixed with the pebbles to permit the growing of any garden crop. Yet. as 1t lay right in the center of several acres of really admirable garden soil 1t was un- handy to blow around 1t. After some time discovered that field beans would gow on 1t and make perhaps half crop. So I used to blow 1t with the rest and then mark it at the same time as marked for the corn and potatoes which were to be planted around it. When we came to the actual planting. we chang ed our seed to beans as soon as we struck this gravel area, planted beans till we ] reached the other edge and then resumed our corn or potatoes.
 l Well, when cultiTating time came we l invariably met some quack grass strug- ! gling to get a foot hold among these beans It roots found scant welcome and niggardly provisions in the stony soil,
 
 easily. We used to congratulate our selves that it was so simple to kill the stuff on that part of the patch. And I used, occasionally to wonder why the quack, which was proverbially averse to poor soil, should try to grow on that wat CT washed gravel
 Two years ago this summer, the area had beans on it. as it had for the preced- ing twenty years. The next spring was unable to blow it or get it plowed. Per- force, l was compelled to let 1t, with all but a scant half acre of the rest of the gardens, lie fallow and grow up to weeds. For weeks I didn't even stroll in that di- rection. The spectacle of sorry abandon men was a sore trial to my thrifty New England eyes. But one day in late June had to dodder up that way. And there I came on the surprise of my life. Instead of the stunted growth of shep- herds purse and ragmeed and anna ranth and chickweed, etc, which I had expected, that whole ex-bean patch was covered with as even seeding of tall grass as | ever saw. It was fairly thick set and, if one could have run plane over the top, I firmly believe it would have cut the tips of three out of every four stalks. Quack grass. and every blitherine spear of it, too!
 1 When the haymaIxers came to do m! having for me, I showed them this patch and they naowed 1t. There can't be : half acre of t, all told, yet they drev from it 4 big two-horse load of dry hay It was put in the horse barn with timoth, below it and timothy above. When
 came to feed it, in the winter couIdn' see but that. the horses ate 1t as hungrily cleaned up their managers as thorough. and did quite as we'll as on the timothy
 As for me, at first I simply gloated. recalled Samson's famous riddle wkic the thirty wedding guests had to give IT and felt that I, too, had secured mea from the eater or, at least, good hors feed from pestiferous weed
 Then another side of the matter show ed up in my mind Here was the poor est bit of soil in hundred acres. An was the dictUm of the accumulated fari wisdom of a hundred years that quac would not grow on poor soil. And her was simply bouncing crop of pure quac right on that exceptionally poor soil
 Do you wonder that the strain on m orthodoxy was severe? That began feel secret doubt as to the all-wisdom even the practical farmers who SUI round me?
 This summer another even rank, growth of quack overspreads that grave bed. It promised even a bigger yield hay. I haven't seen anywhere in radil of ten miles a carefully seeded meade which shows any evener or thicker taller growth. It's going to take
 sound rigging and husky team to dra 1t to the barn in one load when it is GU
 I'd really like to know the how an because of i; ; the why and the wher fore. But the most interesting exper ences of the. season consists in takir one after another of the wise old farmel who neighbor me and who have spel years in teaching me that "quack- -grai i won't grow on poor soil,'e up to tn
 gravel-bed and showing them the nob
 burden of quack which is rippling in u
 breezes all over 1t.
 They've known that bit of land a
 their lives They know quaek-gra
 when they see 1t. too Their commen
 are varied and usually characteristi
 The most common one is, in effect,
 wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't set
 1t with my own eyes, This, even thou,
 I have fair reputation for truth al
 veracity. The most satisfying has bet
 that of one of my oldest neighbors, F
 walked around 1t and across 1t i; he pull