684 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 14 
Furrow 2.—Total yield, 60 pounds. 
Large tubers. 224 50% pounds. 
Small tubers. 107 9% pounds. 
331 60 pounds. 
Trench 3.—Total yield, 52% pounds. 
Large tubers. 192 47% pounds. 
Small tubers. 61 5% pounds. 
253 52% pounds. 
Furrow 3.—Total yield, 53% pounds. 
Large tubers. 187 39% pounds. 
Small tubers. 169 14 pounds. 
356 
Trench 4.—Total yield, 52 pounds. 
Large tubers. 182 
Small tubers. 63 
53% pounds. 
46% pounds. 
5% pounds. 
245 52 pounds. 
Furrow 4.—Total yield, 60% pound?. 
Large tubers. 210 54% pounds. 
Small tubers. 81 6 pounds 
291 60% pounds. 
Trench 5.—Total yield, 56% pounds. 
Large tubers. 199 49% pounds. 
Small tubers. 78 7 pounds. 
277 56% pounds. 
Furrow 5.—Total yield, 49% pounds. 
Large tubers. 182 39% pounds. 
Small tubers. 123 9% pounds. 
305 49% pounds. 
Trench 6.—Total yield, 46% pounds. 
Large tubers. 166 41 pounds. 
Small tubers. 69 5% pounds. 
235 
Farrow 6.—Total yield, 52 pounds. 
Large tubers. 215 
Small tubers. 96 
46% pounds. 
45 pounds. 
7 pounds. 
311 52 pounds. 
Trench 7.—Total yield, 47% pounds. 
Large tubers. 203 41% pounds. 
Small tubers. 73 6 pounds. 
276 47% pounds. 
Furrow 7.—Total yield, 60% pounds. 
Large tubers. 235 54 pounds. 
Small tubers. 90 6% pounds. 
325 60% pounds. 
Let us now estimate the above yields by the acre, 
taking the trenches first. 
TRENCHES. 
Bushels per acre. 
Trench 1.— Large tubers . 498 66 
Small tubers. 62 33 
560 99 
Trench 2.—Large tubers. 377 66 
Small tubers. 51 33 
428 99 
Trench 3.—Large tubers. 348 33 
Small tubers. 38 50 
386 83 
Trench 4.—Large tubers. 341.(0 
Small tubers. 40 33 
381 33 
Trench 5.—Large tubers. 361 16 
Small tubers. 51.33 
412 49 
Trench 6.—Large tubers. 300 66 
Small tubers. 38 50 
339 16 
Trench 7.—Large tubers. 348 33 
Small tubers. 44 00 
392.33 
The total yield of the trenches, counting both large 
and small potatoes, is at the rate of 414 58 bushels to 
the acre. 
Large potatoes, per acre... 367.97 
Small “ “ “ . 46 61 
Total. 414 58 
FURROWS. 
Bushels per acre. 
Furrow 1.—Large tubers. 375.83 
Small tubers. 58 66 
434 49 
Furrow 2.—Large tubers. 370 33 
Small tubers. 69 66 
439 99 
Furrow 3.—Large tubers. 289.66 
Small tubers. 102 66 
392.32 
Furrow 4.—Large tubers. 401.50 
Small tubers. 44 00 
445 50 
Furrow 5.—Large tubers. 29150 
Small tubers. 69 66 
361.16 
Furrow 6.—Large tubers. 330 00 
Small tubers. 51 53 
381.53 
Furrow 7.—Large tubers. 396 00 
Small tubers. 47 66 
443 66 
The total yield of the furrows, counting both small 
and large, is at the rate of 414 09 bushels per acre. 
Large potatoes, per acre.. 350 69 
Small “ “ “ . 63.40 
Total. 414 09 
There is a difference in total yield per acre of only 
a half bushel (0.49) in favor of the trenches; but of 
marketable potatoes there is a difference of over 17 
bushels (17.28) per acre in favor of the trenches. 
The yield of small potatoes (unmarketable) of the 
furrows is 16.79 bushels per acre greater than that of 
the trenches. 
Next season we hope to repeat this trial in a warmer 
soil. 
[Every query must be acoompanled by the name and address of the 
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THE VIRTUES OF A WEED. 
HAVE WEEDS ANY MANURE VALUE? 
O. M. A., Tamaroa, 111. —1. Are there any nitrogen 
gatherers among weeds ? 2. Does land left to grow 
up to weeds grow richer or poorer ? 3. I have a young 
orchard that grows a big crop of rag-weeds. If I mow 
them two or three times during the summer, and 
leave them on the ground, would it not be as good as 
to plow them under ? Clover will not grow. Can you 
tell us of any experiments as to the value of green 
weeds as manure ? What weeds are most exhausting 
to the soil ? 
A Weed is a Plant Out of Place. 
1. Yes; there are several of the weeds that cairy 
tubercles the same as the clovers. In short, some of 
the clovers are weeds, and Red clover may be a bad 
one when growing to the exclusion of some crop that 
then and there is of more account than the clover. 
The medicks and the melilots are clover-like weeds, 
and probably behave like clover in their relation to 
nitrogen. 2. That depends; but most likely it accu¬ 
mulates vegetable matter, and thus becomes richer. 
In that way the rich soils were made the world over, 
namely, by the plants decaying in situ, and new ones 
feeding upon the remains. Rut it is one thing to have 
land grow richer, and another to become charged with 
weeds and weed seeds. It is the method of the thrift¬ 
less man to enrich his fields by growing weeds. This 
last ought to answer the third question. If land 
will grow three crops of weeds, very little need be 
said about its enrichment. If the growth admits of 
plowing under, it will be best to do so, provided it 
costs very little, and it does not injure the orchard, 
as late plowing is said to do. The earliest, and pos¬ 
sibly the best, extensive analyses of weeds for plant 
food constituents, were conducted by Professor Storer 
at the Bussey Institution, and published in a bulletin. 
Many of the weeds are rich in plant food. Leaving 
out of sight the thought of their noxious qualities, it 
is possible that many of the larger sorts are nearly 
equally exhaustive when given full sway, as the thorn- 
apples, cockleburrs and similar annuals. The peren¬ 
nials go deeper and “pump up” from the subsoil 
and exhaust the farmer. prof. b. d. halstkd. 
New Jersey Experiment Station. 
Where Weeds Have Saved Land. 
1. Without doubt there are among the weeds nitro¬ 
gen gatherers. Their composition, however, has not 
been sufficiently studied to answer definitely what 
kinds are most available for this purpose. Besides, 
the plants that are known as weeds in one section of 
the country, are not weeds in another. Among those 
possessing the greatest fertilizing effect on the soil 
are the poke weed (Phytolacca decandra, L.), bitter 
dock (Rumex obtusifolius, L.), common thistle (Cnieus 
lanceo 1 atus, L.), etc. 2. Land left to grow up in 
weeds does not grow poorer if the weeds are left upon 
the soil, and may become richer, especially if the crop 
of weeds is occasionally turned under, in which case 
they act as a green manure, and produce about the 
same effect as ordinary cultivated crops (except 
clover) sown for that purpose. I have known land in 
a number of instances to be materially improved by 
allowing a growth of weeds to develop upon it. Any 
one can see the effect of weed crops by observing the 
digestive action of the weeds upon the soil where 
they t radually spread themselves over the fresh earth 
from a railroad cut or fill. 3. In the case of the 
young orchard that produces a big crop of rag-weed, 
the fertilizing effect of the weeds is partly lost by 
mowing them two or three times during the summer 
and allowing them to lie on the ground. The volatile 
fertilizing ingr idients in this case partly escape, but 
the physical action of the weeds lying on the ground 
is most excellent, and will gradually form a loose soil 
fairly rich in humus. I am using this method of pro¬ 
ducing a soil upon a large area of excavated surface 
at this station. I sowed it in grass and clover, but 
could get neither to catch, as they will not grow in a 
soil devoid of humus, especially where freshly exca¬ 
vated, and the weed crop in this case is reducing the 
soil to a condition such that I hope this fall to get 
grass to grow on. In the case of our Illinois friend 
I would suggest that he sow peas and turn them 
under as a green manure if he finds the rag-weed 
operates too slowly. If, however, he will turn under 
successive crops of this weed, or any other that may 
grow on his soil, he will find it gradually improved 
both in physical character and chemical composition. 
Director W. Va. Exp. Station. john a. myeks. 
Weeds Prepare for Better Plants. 
A very few ; but upon this answer depends largely 
the answer to the question, What are weeds? Melilotus 
and Black medick and the vetches which grow wild to 
a limited extent are all often classed among the weeds. 
These are all nitrogen gatherers; then I presume 
there are others which have not been studied carefully 
enough to make it certain. 2. Land left to grow up 
to weeds grows richer in available plant food, and 
often richer in actual nitrogen. Weeds are a sort of 
forerunners to prepare the way for plants of a higher 
order which can get their food only when it is well 
prepared and in abundant quantity. No positive ad¬ 
dition to the mineral matter of the soil can be made 
by the growth of weeds, but a positive addition can 
be made to the amount in the surface soil at the ex¬ 
pense of the subsoil. 3. The growth of rag-weeds 
treated as described will, no doubt, improve the land 
in three ways: 1. These vile weeds will feed upon 
“ tough ” plant food, and when they rot down the food 
which they contain will be tender and available for 
the higher class of plants. 2. They will bring the 
plant food from the subsoil and deposit it upon the 
surface. 3. By shading the ground, moisture will be 
conserved during dry weather, and this will be bene¬ 
ficial in two ways : first, it will allow chemical action 
to go on even though the ground be dry, and, second 
and greatest perhaps, this surface mulch will conserve 
moisture. It matters little whether the weeds are 
plowed under or not. They are not exhaustive to the 
soil unless they are removed, and, as they seldom are, 
the discussion of the subject is unnecessary. Most of 
them are nitrogen consumers and not nitrogen gath¬ 
erers if they are left to rot upon the ground, and then 
the fine particles of decayed matter of which they are 
composed are left to wash away into the streams. An¬ 
nual weeds in such cases actually help to impoverish 
the soil. Perennial weeds are likely to form a sod of 
softer texture and prevent any serious losses of nitro¬ 
gen by washing. Then, too, the latter have at all 
times of the year live roots which are hungry for the 
nitrogen which is set free by the decay of the tops. 
Director Cornell Station. i. p. Roberts. 
PREPARING FOR A PEACH ORCHARD. 
J. A. H. Z., New Kingston, Pa. —I intend to set out a 
peach orchard in the spring and want some advice from 
some of The R. N.-Y. readers on the following points : 
1. The ground is now in clover; should I plow it this 
autumn or wait until spring ? 2. Would a dressing of 
lime applied this fall be a good thing for the trees ? 
3. I can buy pure raw bone at $28 and dissolved bone 
at $25 per ton, botn guaranteed to be made from 
animal bone ; which would be the better, or should I 
combine the two ? 4. For potash shall I apply muriate 
or kainit, what quantity per acre, and should it be 
mixed with bone ? 5. What, if any, crop can be 
grown in the orchard for the first year or two without 
detriment to the trees ? 
Raw Bone ; Kainit May be the Cheaper. 
1. There will be little difference between spring 
and fall plowing, provided the former is not done 
when the ground is too wet. 2. A dressing of lime 
will not be amiss, although not very important in 
soils which contain a proper proportion of it. 3. I 
would prefer raw bone, a? it would become available 
by the time the trees come into bearing, when it will 
be most needed, since trees can be kept in thriving 
condition without extra fertilizing until fruiting 
time. 4 There is little difference whether kainit or 
muriate is applied so far as potash is concerned, though 
we can buy a little ipore in muriate for a dollar, 
