It has been reported by farmers who have grown beggar weed in 

 their orchards and corn fields that the texture and color of the soil 

 have been changed within two years as a result of plowing under 

 the annual crops of beggar weed. It grows best on light, sandy 

 soils and makes its rankest growth when fertilized liberally with 

 superphosphate and muriate or sulphate of potash. Sandy soils do 

 not retain an excess of phosphoric acid and potash in the same 

 manner as clayey soils unless there is a good deal of humus or 

 decaying organic matter present, and it is of the highest importance, 

 if the fertility of such light soils is to be increased, that large quan- 

 tities of some form of green manure be given them. This can best 

 be done by growing leguminous crops, such as beggar weed or 

 velvet bean, which not only supplj^ a rank bulk of vegetation, but 

 contain larger amounts of nitrogen than the non-leguminous crops. 

 Humus added to the soil makes it more retentive of moisture and 

 improves its physical condition ; and the humus acts as a reservoir 

 of surplus inorganic plant foods, preventing or retarding their leach- 

 ing into the drainage waters. A crop of beggar weed turned under, 

 will, when decomposed, retain near the surface in ready reach of the 

 roots of succeeding crops more of whatever fertilizers are subse- 

 quently applied. Besides adding a large amount of nitrogen to the 

 soil, the beggar weed takes up large quantities of lime and potash, 

 about one-half of the total amount of ash consisting of these two 

 elements. Analyses show that one ton- of beggar- weed ash contains 

 508 pounds of lime, 230 pounds of phosphoric acid, and 482 pounds 

 of potash, valued, when purchased in the form of commercial ferti- 

 lizers, at about twenty dollars. One ton of beggar-weed hay con- 

 tains about 38 pounds of nitrogen. It requires from 20 to 25 tons of 

 hay to yield one ton of ash. At a four-ton j^ield per acre, which is 

 not an unusual one, the fertilizing value of the crop would be about 

 as follows: 150 pounds of nitrogen, at 15 cents per pound, $22.50; 

 phosphoric acid and potash worth $5.25, making a total of $27.75. 

 A four-ton crop of beggar weed would therefore, if turned under as 

 green manure, supply an equivalent of half a ton of the best com- 

 mercial fertilizer for the use of the succeeding crop in the rotation. 



• HOW TO sow THE SEED. 



For a crop of seed, beggar weed should be sown at the rate of 5 

 or 6 pounds of clean seed per acre. If grown for hay, from 8 to 10 

 pounds should be used. It should not be sown until the ground is 

 warm and moist, and the clean seed is preferable to the pods because 

 of the more uniform germination and better stand which may be 

 obtained. The seed is about the size, shape, and color of red clover 

 and weighs about as much to the bushel. It is now on the market 

 at a price low enough to place it within the reach of any farmer. 



