Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-02-02
Agricultural


fertlllZers.
In our last number we gave some discussion
on this subject from The last Agricultural Re.
port, and VIC are satisfied We cannot do the Far
mers greater service than by continuing the
dlscusslon---lhe Report after giving facts reIa.
tive to tho yaIus Of lime and plaster as fertj
llzsrS, says
With increasing means farmers are giving
more attention 10 sHeltering their stock and
with this care comes one of the best ptoGts NJ
stock raising-the greater amount and better
quality Of manure Still there is room for
greater ratio Of trOgress, even when labor N IN
scarce, Tor the prices everywhere prevailing for
agricultural products demand the best economy
In feeding and how better can this be observed
than by that increase Of shelters, which ston.
only when every head of stock is reposlpg in III
stall during the winter nights lfthere il one
thing that should be regarded more than another
asa standard OF superior farming, 1t is this pro.
vision Tor stock and where tits wanting no
matter how rich the soil, 1t is an evidence Of
the practice Of that agriculture which feckleaslv
exhausts the soil.
Further on, treating of the decfeage in the
use Of guano and the phosphates, arising mainly
from The present high prices Of these ar,eles
the writer suggests the more careful saving Of
bones, which may easily and proGtably bs done,
from the family up to the Strengthening houses,
where SO many are lost through neglect.
We add here an article on Fertilizers, from
the Farmer and Gardner, Phil ,dephia, which
Is specially pertinent to this discussion.
With gnano at one hundred dollars per ton
very large proportion of our hay, corn wheat
oats, and rye, either sent abroa TO meet thu
foreign demand, or seat south to SUNNY the
Immense armle, Of the Union, it becomes q very
serious question with tho farmer, how To re-.
pen,sh the wasted energies of his soil. IL
very clear that with our present system of far.
ming, we must look to other sources of manuti
al supply, than our own farm Yards We per
nit nlne-tenths of cur night-so to 90 to worse
than waste and IN a thousand WAYS prove oar
utter reeklessness OF theoyll consequences which
will inevitably follow our great waste OF ma.
nures. Something must DO done TO remedy tho
EVIL, and prominent among the remedies we may
mention green manurLg.
There rs little philosophy in green manurine.
not generally understood; but which NAV b
readily explained, aud when explained, ought to
satisfy every thinking farmer Of ito utility and
Importance. Talk to a farmer about green ma
nunng, who has never given the subject atten.
ton, and he viii trlumphantly tell you that il
isonly giving back to the soil precisely what vas
taken IRON it. But point him to the smple
TACT that by tar the larger portion OF the bulk
OF those plants best adapted TO green mgnuripg
IL Drawn, not from the soil, but from the water
ana atmosphere, and his triumphant tone will
change. wa
Now all that is contributed by the water and
air TO the plant Is just 50 much clear gain to the
soil, or IN other words, 1t is food ready prenared
Tor the crop which Is to suoteed. Again. tlat
lortioD oil The bulk OF the green manure plant
when IS obtained from she soil has Hssnmed
new aihnites, and is resto ed to II In a condition.
tar better lifted than before to feed the oominr
crop.
IL isa well established fact that plants best
adapted TO the support OF men and animals can.
not DO RAISED upon poor thin soils. That tbev
oraW largely on the soil for support On the
other hand, there are plants, which derivin,
TIER nutrment manly from the atmosnhere
may be grown upon soils 1t is this latter ela.
OF plants that should be employed for the nnr.
pose oil green manurlng. The reausites of these
plants are that they shonld be rapid erower,
that they are capable of autumnal growth. and
that they are hardy, or suited to the climate
where they are to be used and that. as alre.dv
mentioned, theii main element of dependence /,
upon the atmosphere. Such plants are usuaIl,
very succulent, their sap containing albumeo
and other azotized principles, which are readily
decomposed ''"N"'
Clover Is one of the plants most generally
USED ior shs purpose IN this country though
there are many Others which have bean nnod
valuable In some sections green corn ha,
been ploughed under, with The best result,
we well remember with what skeptioism ami
derlnon the statement OF w Stsyely. of l..
hsska, Bucks %. wa. received some tyan,,
years ago, IN which he asserted that be bad
ploughed under green corn, ten feet high. and
was rewarded with most beautiful sneesedino |
crop. Among the plants which have been found
10 ans"er well here and abroad, are It,lian
Iye,grass, buck whest, lupInes, rye, rape mus.
tard, tares, esc.-farmu aud Gard. PIas
We are confident that our farmers, by a care.
ful study Of the subject, will lind many une..
penslse methods OF increasing the fertility Of
the soil IL is evidenttbat what is taken from
the soil IN crops must be IN some way replacaa
or the land will inevitably become barren and
onirui'iul' Yet our farmers every year sell
oats and corn, hay and potatoes, without in
most Instances restoring to the farm. tho
strength OF soil thus exported, and yet 90 on
year after year changing from one field toanoths,
OF large farm, and wonder AT last that thai,
iaras do not produce such crops as formerly.
The man whose income is one thousand dollars
and whose expenses are eleven hundred dollars
year, is certainly on the road to bankruptcy
and the farm from which large crops are sold
without bringing back upon it a jos. compen.
sation in fertilizers, will surely wear ou, Mt last
A long purse IN the one ease. aud rich soil in