The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-10-13
AGRICULTURAL.
Green ManuPss.

II SNA'nn6 ShC@Pt fASn- 5to"AL8 'c6CloSicSs
and blowing them under, instead Of forming
them into heaps near by, to be comPosted.
with earth, muck, or line, and then return
ed TO the field at considerable expense Tor
working, carriage. &c. This is now COM
monty called "green manuring; The pIin-
cIPle being 70 enrich the soil, BY setting a
quick growing plant to draw organic mat
ters from the air, and inorganic from the
sub-soil, below the reach of the roots OF o.
binary plants; and then blowing il into the
soil.
Peaty soils and lands newly cleared
generally do not require this kind OF manu-
ring, as they are already full Of vegetable
matter. and want only lime to neutralizo
the acids contained in them, and nitrate Of
soda or sui Phate of ammonia 10 supply them
with nitrogen. Poor, elayey soils, howev-
er, are much improved by having their sub
soil burnt, or rather charred, with peat,
spent tan bark, sawdust, or any other cheap
kind Of fuel. And as vegetable matters
work sour, the land, before blowing them
under, should receive cheap, inorganic
dressings, such as sat, lime. plaster Of Pa
Tis, mari, &c, which, when added, help the
growth Of the plants, and promote their
drawing other matters from the air as well
as the soil.
The vegetables grown for the purpose Of
green manures should have the following
properties: They should flourish On poor
soils; require little labor III cultivation,
have cheap seeds; De Of quick and sure
growth; stand the climate and yermin, run
their roots deep; bring Up from The subsOil
what the succeeding crops require, smother
weeds, and produce great quantity Of
stalks, or foliage, which will easily decay
in tbs soil, without leaving any residue
hurtlul or PeniciouS to future growth.
Among the plants best known for this
purpose, and which appear to be most suit
able for this country, We would noIe the
following:
l. Red ClOUer.-This plant requires a
Iich, or moderately rich soil; little labor Ia
cultivation; seed cheap, stands the climate
and vermin well; is rapid in its growth;
abundant in its yield, say from two to eight
tons per acre, when green; roots penetrate
from eighteen inches TO TWO feet and half
into the soil, and are equal In bulk to about
one half OF the stalks and leaves. Every
900 lbs, when dry, contains lbs. OF
potash, $40 lbs. Of PhosPhoEic acid, snd
3 SO lbs. Of nitrogen. If Plowed under,
when in flower, as green manure, it Is rapid
in its decay.
2. Rye-This will grow on poor, dry,
light, sandy or gravelly soils; is cultivated
with little labor; seed cheap, stands the eli
mate and yermin well; comparatively slow
in its growth; abundant in straw, but its
roots do not penetrate deep into the ground.
Every 1000 lbs. Of the dry plant contains
lbs. Of nitrogen, but no sppreciable guam
tity Of potash or PhosPhoric acid. Ii may
be Plowed under late in the spring for fer
tilizing The soil.
3. Buekl1heat-This plant will grow
on dry, sandy, gravelly, or Peaty SOIL re-
quires little labor in cultivation; seed cheap.
stands the climate and vermin well; is "a
pid in its growth, particularly so in connec-
ton with saltPetfe and plaster Of Paris;
produces from two to four tons of roots and
green heritage to the acre; but the roots do
not penetrate deep into the soil. Every
1000 lbs. Of dry roots and tops, cut in full
flower, contain 1 - los. Of potash. 40
OF pound OF PhosPhoric acid, and 2 lbs.
Of nitrogen. Plowed under, as a green
manure, it is somewhat rapid in its decay.
| a. SPury.-This plant will grow on a
poor, dry soil; requires but little labor in
cultivation, and a small outlay for seed;
grows in about two months; will yield about
two tons Of heritage per acre; and its roots
run about fifteen inches deep. Every 1000
lbs. Of the roots and tops contain 9 lbs. Of
potash, l 1-2 los. Of phosphoric acid, and
4 Ibis. of nitrogen. When Plowed under.
as green manure. it decays rapidly in he
soil.
5. White LHpin.--This plant has been
extensively used in Italy, for blowing I'm
der, from the time Of the Romans, and has
been adopted with great success in Germa-
ny, for the same purpose, not only on poor
lands, but on soils in high cultivation. IL
is adapted to all soils except those which
are limy; is cultivated with little labor; seed
somewhat dear; stands the climate and YER
min well; rather rapid in its growth; will
sometimes produce ten or twelve tons Of
heritage per acre; and its roots penetrate to
the depth OF two feet into the soil. Every
900 lbs. OF the dry plant contain ID. Of
potash, 1 and four fths lbs. Of phosphoric
acid, and and three-tenths lbs. Of nitro
gen. Its stalks are somewhat slow to
decay, when Plowed under as q green ma
nure.
Another method Of obtaining vegetable
: matter for composing in the manure heap.
: or for blowing under the soil, consists in
cultivating, near at hand. quick. rank grow
. ing plants, on some richly -manured spot, in
order to avoid the expense OF collecting and
carting such matter from distance. Among
the perennials Of this class. may be men
!. toned the jerusalem artichoke, tansey,
: prickly comfrey, and Bokhara clover, which
throw up heavy mass Of stalks and foil
age, that may be cut several times in a sea
son, and are rich in nitrogen and fertilisins
D salts. --.
!, 1ansey, tits stated, is satisfied with poor
m hungry soils; stands all weathers suffer:
little from vemin; produces great mass Of
foliage, say "a tons per acre; extends il,
ls roots from two TO four feet inse the subsoil
4 will last ten years without further expense
will SOW itself again; and may be cut rwic'
10 a year. One acre, when cut In The bios
som, will screen manure" two acrss 70
q. two years, or will keep four acres Of han
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