The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-15
Agricultural Dept. Shows Rag
weed Adds Quality In
Leaf Rotations
BY GUY A. CARDWELL
General Agricultural Agent.

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co.
In q recent news article issued
by the U. S. department of agri-
culture, the attention of tobacco
growers is called to the fact that
ragweed adds quality in tobacco
rotations:
"In the early days of this coun-
try planters soon found that tobac-
co grown on virgin soil produced
larger yields of finer-textured leaf
than the growth on older cultivat-
ed plots. Thus, to meet market
demands, early settlers and their
successors cleared forested areas
until in time all the good land had
been planted to tobacco.
GAS farming science developed,
tobacco growers tried crop rotation,
and used manures and fertilizers in
an effort to maintain yield and
quality. These practices did not
prove satisfactory on all soils and
with all crop combinations.
"In recent years, scientists of the
United States department of agri-
culture discovered that tobacco
grown after a natural weed fallow
and receiving the right kind of
commercial fertilizer apparently
possesses those charactertics OBJ
served in the early days when the
crop was grown on virgin land.
The fact that tobacco planted after
a bare fallow shows a rapid &C.
crease in yield and quality demon
strates that the cover Of spontan-
eous growth is the answer to the
problem rather than simply allow
ing the land to remain idle.
TESTS completed recently by the
department scientists show that
certain weeds are more desirable
than others as a fallow. It may
not be good news to persons sus-
ceptible to hay fever, but ragweed
is n Of the weed species showing
the best results. Horseweed is an
other. On the other hand, tobacco
following lambs quarter showed
some reduction in yield over bare
fallow.
I'm the same tests annual les
pedeza has shown no advantage as
a cover crop. Sweetclover, rabbits
foot clover, and wild peas have not
always shown an advantage.
The general beneficial effect of
the weed fallow, report the scien-
lists, is getting the tobacco off to
a quick start and a rapid and uni
form growth of the plants from
transplanting time to maturity.
This in turn resulted in uniformly
high market value per acre and
average price e pound, which
demonstrates that the tobacco
meets current demands for most
manufacturing purposes"
The fourth annual tobacco short
course for adult farm men and
women of the state of North Caro-.
lima will be held at State co11epe
January 1863, it has been announc'
ed by Dan M. Paul, director OF
agricultural short courses at the
college. Tuition is free. A charee
of s1.oo is made for registration
and certificate of attendance
instructions will be given in all
phases of tobacco production ord
related subjects, includine tohacco
seed' iertllizers' insects and disease
control, soil fertility and the value
OF forest Trimmings to obtain to-
bacco wood.
The discussion leaders for the
Tour days OF the school will be 70.
Y. FLOYD, extension tobacco sne-
clallst and AAA executive officer
for the state, on Tuesday 1an,,.rv
10 Pror. c. B. Williams, head of
the State college agronomy depart.
ment' on Wednesday,, January II: