| Show I 1 1 1 I 1 Y I 1 1 I 1 9 r I 1 A I 1 IA 1 I 1 C how mustard robs wheat the plant foods lound found in tho the soil consists of certain salts or minerals as common table salt saltpeter etc certain of these salts arp ar abundant trough in ID the soil at any ono one time to feed becj the crop for or a season or many seasons others such as saltpeter nitric add acid are liberated become available to the plant or are rendered soluble only gradually that is there may be enough ot of the saltpeter in tho the soil to last a crop only a raw weeks As aa it Is used however more of this food Is rendered soluble so that it can be used by the plant we vo have this process going on in the soil during the growing season the numus or vegetable Retable ic substance constantly felds a certain quantity of 0 the saltpeter and ami the growing plants aie at the same tiffie using a portion 0 of this when the growing crop contains weeds there are arc two classes of plants drawing on this food substance nearly all of the weeds begin flower lowering and ripening seeds long before the wheat or flax or corn begins maturing its seeds now it a plant that is lowering flowering and ripening seeds draws a greater amount of nutriment or food from the soil proportionately than does a plant that Is merely putting forth green leaves the demands of 0 the mustard or french weed upon the soil during june and a part ol of J july 11 ly Is greater and more insistent than an equal amount of wheat or other crop and its demands must be first supplied in other words the french weed or mustard Is taking up the excess ot of saltpeter as rapidly as it Is formed leaving no surplus food to be drawn upon by the wheat or flax when its time comes to blossom and produce seed the case Is somewhat similar to a farmer drawing heavily on his moderate bank account tor for a pleasure trip just before ho he needs the money to harvest bis big ere crop P the weeds draw on the bank account in the soil for or plant food that should be saved for the wheat or other crop L it waldron i |
