The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-07-07
EeER.9E ECO.sO.EE:
from ne Albany Culfirdior.
GREEN MANURES.

GREEN MANURES.
Whera plants in stale of growth are
ploughed in on lard for the purpose Of en-
richius the soil, they are properly termed
green mauures, and this method Of manur.
ing has 10 many instances been successfully
prac,iced. But one kind of green manure
has been extensively used in this country
and that is clover; and the benefits Of this
are 50 great and certain. that 1t is believed
the practice might be advan,ageously ex
tended to other plants. Plants cou,ain, al.
ready elaborated, all The elements necessa.
~ for tho formation OF others; not perhaps
10 precisely the same proportions, but al.
ways more or less Of the essential paris
Reason then would teach the farmer that
growing plants might be readily converted
10 effective manures, aud experience ia
this case fully supports the theory.
The constituent elements OF plants are
woody f5ro, starch, sugar, and gum, and
these are compounds Of carbon, hydrogen,
aud oxygen. The fixed aud the volatile
oils, wax end resin, are formed OF carbon,
with the elements of water aud an excess
of hydrogen. Vegetable gluten and abIu
men centain nitrogen, and il is never Who'll
y absent 10 plants. II follows tina, for the
growth Of plants, the presence Of carbon and
nitrogen, or substances capable Of yielding
these elements, as well as Mater, iron, lime,
and other inorganic matters, mus, be fur
nshed. Green manures do this more read,
lis than almost any thing that can be pro.
vided, as the Use of clover for wheat clearly
proves. |, appears from the writings Of
Xenophon, that the value Of green manures
was early understood, for he recommends
that crops be sown for this purpose, and dc.
clares they " enrich the soil as much as
dung"
The value Of sea weed as q manure is
well known, and arises from the organic ell
emenis it contributes to the soil. DR..
Browne Of Suffolk, 10 a letter quoted by
Prof Johnston, ia his essay on The use Of
salt, gives a striking instance OF this. In
October, 1919, a violeut gale of wind drove
to this part OF the coast, an unprecedented
quantity Of sea weeds these were general
" scrambled for, and from my greater vi
cinilv TO the beach, collected twenty-seven
cart loads, each as much as four horses
could draw; and although other persons de
posted their collections IN their farm yards,
to 70, among their other manure, yet |
spread mine, fresh and wet, upon little more
than an acre of bean slubble, instantly
plouphed il in, and dibbled wheat on it, on
the 9th Of October. then sailed the ad.
Joining land with three bushels per acre,
MANFRED It with fifteen loads Of farm yard
manure per acre, and dibbled il with wheat
on the fifteenth OF November. The result
was, that the weeded portion gave three
times the product of any equal part OF the
field" The effect Of sea weed as green
manure, it appears from the reports Of Prof.
jackson and Mr.. Coleman, have been in
Rhode Island and Massachusetts, equally
decided.
Mex; TO clover, buckwhea, has been more
used in this country as green manure, than
any thing else. Il is evident that to pro
duce the best effect as an eurcher Of the
soil, the plant used as manure should have
rapid growth, as in that way more of ITS
bulk is drawn from the atmosphere than the
earth. The farmer finds that the best
wheat follows luyuriant growth of clover,
tina, the best is grown where the thick.
est, richest turf has been turned. and that
the crop is generally IN proportion to the
vegetable matter present in the soil. II
has appeared 10 US, however, that where
large quantities Of green manure we're used,
the presence of some alkali was necessary
to correct any acidity that might ensue,
and hence ashes when used in such con
neclion have proved oiessensial service.