Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-07-17
From the American Agriculturist
Shall Glover be Plowed Under p?

There it lies, splendid field Of clover
in full blossom, musical with the voices
of myriad bees, and perfu m i n G the
morning air with its fragrance. 1t is al
together too handsome to be put under
the dirt. You might go miles to find SO
fair a sight, even in a flower garden.
And then if it were not, what thrifty far
mer can afford to manure his field at
such cost There is not less than
three tons Of cured hay TO the acre, worth
at least ten dollars the ton standing, to
say nothing of the after feed which
must be sacrificed to manure. Can a
man afford to give thirty dollars an acre
for manure /? Mr.. Pennywise hesitates,
and thinks it is paying too dear for that
whistle. He can get his manure cheap
err. But can he? Let us look at il a
little. What has the clover actually
cost him2 The seed, say one dollar per
acre, the extra labor Of sowing, and the
interest upon the value Of the land. As
the seed was sown with oats or barley,
or some other grain crop, we do not
count the labor Of getting it in. 1t has
not cost him five dollars an acre, even if
the land is worth sixty dollars. In the
green state there are probably eight or
ten tons of vegetable matter, equivalent
to heavy manuring with stable manure,
that would cost thirty dollars per acre,
reckoning The manure at two dollars a
cord, and the carting at common prices.
The clover is just where you want it,
and if turned in, will be more evenly
distributed than any stable manure can
be by the most laborious process. There
is no expense for carting, for spadng, or
narrowing. Then it is to be considered
that it is not simply SO much vegetable
matter added to the soil, but added to it
in a succulent state, in which it will be
rapidly decomposed and changed into
plant food. Green crops, turned under
in the early Summer, affect the soil
with which they come in contact in some
way that we do not fully understand.
Possibly the acids released act upon the
mineral portions of the soil, and form
new compounds that are immediately
available for the food Of plants. This
seems to be necessary to account for the
beneficial effects of blowing in at this
season, rather than in the Fall when
the fibre Of the grass is hard or partially
dried. Experience shows that the crop
has by far the best effect when il is turn
ed under in the green state, and in warm
weather. 1t goes through a very rapid
fermentation, nd in some manner
changes the character of good deal Of
soil with which it comes in contact.
If a farmer bad all :he manure be
wanted, and his fields all lay close to |
the barn yard, it might not be econo.
mical to turn in green crops, and especial
ly clover which is SO valuable fodder
both green and cured. Bot few farm
ers have as much manure as they can
use to good advantage, especially in the
older States. Some Of the fields lie at !
a distance from the barn, and the ex-
pense of getting the manure on to the
ground is greater than the cost of
making the manure, And even if ma
nure were plenty, it is a good plan to
have place in the rotation, where a
green crop is turned in. II does good
work for the soil, than can be accom-
plished by no other method so economi-
cally. 1t makes a splendid seed bed,
and prepares the ground for winter
WHtdL III Tue pest manner.
1t seems great waste 10 spoil so
much good food for beasts, but it is in
keeping with the economy of the hus-
bandry. ltseems great waste to put
eight or ten bushels of potatoes in the
soil to get a crop; but they come back
again many fold. That which we SOW
SIS not quickened except it die The
losses Of the farm are often our
largest gains If we are charmed with
he blossoms and the murmur Of tue bees,
better close our ewes and stop our ears
md let the pillow do its work. New life
md vigor will be impaired to the soil,
md there will come up out Of the grave
If our buried hopes, glorious resur-
'ection-felds of tasseled corn or golden
wheat to make glad The heart of the
CONNECTICUT.
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