The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1848-06-21
AarilnItural.
From the Laurensville Herald.

From the Laurensville Herald.
.s;s TURNING IN GREEN CROPS.
Carrot H'eed and Rye-No necessity to
import matter to enrich our Mnds--- Once
ipiprocing soils, not all sufficient, &C.,
Mr.. EditorIn ny last, promised to
resume the subject Of turning in green
crops. There is a proverb about "casting
poarl, !" which some of your readers will
recollect. There is another about 'cns-
ting your bread upon the waters" For
the present intend 10 take the last for my
motto, not caring greatly whether 'sreturn
alter n tim" " IS TO me or 10 your readers
i--i hope it will be to both. But 10 my
ssubiect,I mentioned in my last carrot
(, sgeed and rye, as promising to be good
green crops for turning in. The first
grows spontaneously on most of urlands,
3'Hnd$Would therefore seem, either prori-
deatfaz prorision for their renoration, or
Il else a. bou,,dless ,Uaste Of usckcss regcta-
tion, 'Fhe first view is most reasonable
most iaccordant with what we observe
in?theS economy of ofnalurc, and therefore,
.Withoutydoubt,si lis correct. Is il not con.
:snlitory5 to think we have no, 90, to 90 ov
4 MS clover, spurry, &c., TO rcnornle our
soilsa From tho tenor OF some Of our
! |ate Agricultural writer's, one would think
4 the farmer were under the necessity Of
/, importing Guano from the Peruvian Is.
Sllands, or nitrate of soda from South Am
t>rica, to furnish lis wheat with nitrogen
- Gypsum from France for his clover,
nt,d iphosphutes in the shape Of bones,
from all the batie fields and mausolcums
4 Of the world, for his corn, wheat, turnips
i and other crops. If this is book farming,
sSwho can wonder that the practical farmer
isopposcd to it2 The experiments and
sspcculations on these subjects are good in
their proper place, throwing light on tho
difficult questions of soils and the nour-
ishment Of plants, but ough, not so con-
stantlyto be obtruded upon the view Of
1 the praclicnl American farmer. But le,
us descend from cur baloon-wherc were
we? 5ah, in a 3stubble field, looking at n
dense growth of'cafrol weed.
The carrot weed comes up generally in
sttheS first mild weather Of February. TO
c obtain thick shade 10 our stubble ground
and a heavy mass ofycgctable matter to
+ turn in, we should complete our. small
i grain sowing before that period. AIio;h.i-
/ er3adyantagc besides the vegetable mat
& ter itswil furnish, will be that grnss will
81 be smothered and prevented from seed
ing, 80 that the next crop whether Of corn
or cotton, will not be so much infested by
I It, and therefore more easily tended. In
3 August and September the carrot weed
], Will DO in full bloom and seeding. This
isa time Of comparative leisure with cot
ton growers, and ought TO be seized for
turning them under. AS they decay
they tend to loosen the land, form ncp
! combinations lpith the soil fitted for another
Il CROP and keep ii lose so that IL arorks easi
er and stands drought better. TO this add
compost manure to the drill or hill and
4 your crop and lands will be decidedly i'm
proved. Cattle wileat the carrot weed,
s but ore not very fond ofit.--. Growing near
corn ond cotton, it does not appear TO in
lure them so much MS many other weeds
do. II is easily killed, and after destroy
ing the crop that comes up in February
gives no further trouble.
RYE..-.Rye is considered the least ex.
4 hauaing of the grain crop, and will grow
on poorer landsth tho other ccrals. 1t
is much used and highly esteemed in
I. many parts Of Europe, for turning in.
For5thisspurpose it tmay be sowed earIy---
say in October, so as 10 furnish large
mass Of vegetable matter to be turned in,
In March, - This would probably be fol.
q lowed BY q dense growth Of crop grass,
4 which might be turned in also, in August
September.
But tohave q dense growth OF rye on
very exhausted lands is impossible with
& out sopehelp. That help must be ma.
q n,rey Of some kind. Here nothing will
& nnswerSour purpose better perhaps than
seeding down with cotton seed, 20 or 80
bushels 10 The acre. After all, tits doubt.
sfiiil whetfer very poor lands will return a
y profil. for The labour that will be ncces-
sary 10 improve them.--.The judicious
farmer will select such es arc not too