356 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XIX. No. 490 



SCIENCE; 



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 rork. 



WEEDS AS FEETILTZING MATERIAL. 



BY CHARLES FREDERICK MILLSPAUGH. 



We have initiated a number of experiments at this station 

 with a view of determining the actual average value of com- 

 posted weeds as m'anurial substances upon the basis of the 

 commercial value of their mineral constituents. For this 

 purpose about fifty weeds have so far been gathered in the 

 same manner and at the same time that the farmer should 

 so gather them for compost. Our chemist, Dr. de Eoode, 

 finds that each has a certain value according to its species, 

 yielding nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, as seen in 

 the following table, from which we have computed the 

 money values according to the commercial value of the 

 minerals at this place. 



Nitrogen. Phos. Pota?h. Value. 



Poke- weed, 



Phytolacca decandra, L. 

 Bitter Dock, 



Rumex obtusifolius, L. 

 Common Thistle, 



Cnicus lanceolatus (L.), Willd. 

 Crow-foot Grass, 



Panicum sangiiinale, L. 

 Sheep Sorrel, 



Oxalis corniculata v. striata. 

 (L.), Sav. 

 Fox-tail Grass, 



Setaria glauca {L.), Beauv. 

 Pleurisy-weed, 



Asclepias tuberosa, L. 

 Sweet Clover, Bokhara Clover, 



Melilotus alba, L. 



3.34 .65 8.00 $21.93 



2.94 .50 4.29 16.26 



2.44 .62 5.53 15. 



.90 4.67 13.39 



2.04 .61 3.02 12.74 



1.77 .75 4.52 12.41 



2.02 .86 3.31 12.35 



2.40 .50 1. 



Burdock, 



Arctium lappa, L. 

 0.x-eye Daisy, 



Chrysanthemum leucanthe- 



mum, L. 

 Horse- weed. Wild Lettuce, 



Lactuca canadensis, L. 

 Wild Carrot, 



Daucus carota, L. 

 Butter- weed, 



Lactuca leucophoea (Willd.), 



Gray. 

 Deer -tongue Grass, 



Panicum clandestinum, L. 

 Blue Thistle, 



Echium vidgare, L. 

 Iron-weed, 



Vernonia noveboracensis (L.), 

 Willd. 

 Clot-bur, 



Xanthium strumarium, L. 

 Climbing Buckwheat, 



Polygonum dumetorum, scan- 

 dens (i. ), Gray. 

 Yarrow, 



Achillea millefolium. L. 

 Wild Flax, Toad Flax, 



Linaria vulgaris. Mill. 

 Lobelia, Indian Tobacco, 



Lobelia inflata, L. 

 Stick weed. White Devil, 



Aster lateriflorus (L.), Britt. 

 Briars, 



Rubus villosus. Ait. 

 Wing-Stem, 



Actinomeris alternifolia [L.), 

 B.C. 

 Old White-top, Velvet-grass, 



Holcus lanatus, L. 

 Boneset, 



JSupatorium perfoliatum, L. 

 Timothy, 



Phleum pratense, L. 

 Milk-Weed, Wild Cotton, 



Asclepias Syriaca, L. 

 Blue Devil, 



Aster cordifolius,v laeviagatus. 

 Porter 

 Wild Coreopsis, 



Coreopsis triptris, L. 

 Nail-rod. Stick- Weed, 



Aster lateriflorus, var. hirsuti- 

 caulis, Gr. 

 Wire-grass, 



Eatonia Pennsylvanica {Spr.) 

 Gray 

 Red top, 



Agrostis alba, var. vulgaris 

 (With.) Thurb. 

 Qaill-weed, Queen-of-Meadow, 



Eupatorium purpureum, L. 

 Canada Thistle, 



Cnicus arvensis (L.), Hoffm. 

 Sorrel, 



Rumex acetosella, L. 



1.85 



3.07 11.69 



