Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-07-05
AGRICULTURAL.
GREEN CROPS AS MANURE.
From the Genesee Farmer

An iterate farmer asked. "Why doe:
not my ten acre field sink down. as | ant
INV ancestors have taken more than hun
dred crops from it, without ever adding c
particle ofmanure p
He was not aware that the substance o
his crops, instead ofbeng derived from the
earth. was principally obtained from the air
and from the moisture in the soil, so thai
the quantity of soil itself was little affected.
To prove that plants may be produce
from no other substances than air and water
let the following experiment be performd.
Procure quantity ofpounded glass, wash
it clean, put it in clean glass vessel, and
plant in it grass seed or grain let it be ele-
waited from the ground and kept remote from
anv thing that can drop into it or come In
contact with it. Moisten it frequently with
,,erfectly pure water, SO that not particle
of any thing else can come near it. The
seeds will vegetate and grow to height Of
several inches; and the glass will not be
diminished in the least. If the experiment,
instead of being made with pounded glass,
were made with silex, alumine, and carbon.
ate of lime, in those proportions it which
they exist when they form the most fertile
soils. the result would be the same. 1t is
true, that in all good soils there exists vege.
table and animal matter, the quantity OF
which is affected by the growth of plants ;
but these substances form but small pro.
portion of the whole, and vegetable matter
IN soils is as likely to beincrcased as dimin.
ished by the growth OF plants.
twill thus be perceived, that the practice
of eurching land by green crops, is in fac'
nothing else than obtaining manure from
the air and ruin that plants form chan
mel through which lcrtilizing substances are
conveyed to the soil, which are taken IN by
the leaves and pass through the stems tc
the roots.
The roots ofgrass in good sward GROUND
make q formidable sub,erranean forest IN
miniature, and it is asserted on respectable
authority, that more than twelve tons are
thus added to the iertizing properties O
every acre of soil. When, therefore, the
leaves ant stems, as we'll as the roots, are
also thus applied, the whole quantity be-
comes very large. :,
Crops turned under for manure, shouit
always 5c in green state, and never ripe
and dry. In the former case they termcn
and become fit for supporting vegetation
in the latter, they continue unrotted Otter
for years.
Loudon, speaking on this subject, make
the following interesting statement
Among the most active parts employed a
manure, have found the wild species of th'
genus Sinapis, (mustard,) ploughed in tres'
in the bottom Of turnip drills. at the rate o
twenty tons per acre. The produc'
brought at auction fl2, while the resi- OF th'
field, manured with twenty tons offarm-yar'
dung, brought only from f9 to flO pc
acre. Other weeds, such as nettles, thistlcs
sc. produce crops uperior to farm-yar(
dung.* Potato stems, fresh ploughed II
on clover lay for wheat. have found Il
produce crops exceeding by two boTs pc
acre in quantity, with more proportlonat'
weight Of straw, than other parts otthe same
field manured with tarm.yard dung, bu
otherwise under tine same circumstances
The stems from three acres Of good pota
toes, will manure an acre Of wheat, TO mucl
better purpose than fifteen tons Of tarm-yar'
dung, the usual quantity allowed in that par
ofthe rotation, CLOVER and wheat being tn
crop which generally precedes tailow.
We think that ia no case iarm-vard ma
nure should be rejected or wasted, becaus
all the manure which can possibly be ha
is always needed in good farming; bu
fields remote from manure yards, may ire
quently be enriched at less expense by greeI
manure, than by cartng farn,-yard-dun!
upon them. This will be evident when w
take into account the expense OF drawn!
and spreading on the one hand, and the fac
that crop of vegetable growth is alread,
upon the ground, spread as evenly as
desired, on the other.
I'VE have observed in all parts ofthe country
IN the latter part Of summer, pastures ltefall
covered with an enormous growth ofthe common
field thiStles (Cnicus lance0latus) so that lltti
else could grow upon the land. If these, abou
the time of blossoming, were cut, raked in heap
with horse rake, and allowed to ferment. the
would furnish a vast amount ofmanurc, and pre-
vent the seeds spreading.
THE PEACH WORM.
D- Scott has furnished US. In the PlOu0j