The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1864-05-27
alte :farsrfr's Department.
shall the Glover be PHewsd Under


There it lies, splended field of clover, IN
full blossom. musical with the voices OF nay
raid bees, and perfuming the morning air
with its fragrance. Itis altogether too hand
some to be put under the dirt. You might
20 miles to find so fair a sight, even IN q
flower garden And then if it were not, what
thrifty farmer can afford to manure his field
at such q 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 20
manure. Can man afford to give thirty
dollars an acre for manure2 Mr.. Pennywise
hesitates, and thinks it is paying too dear
for that whistle. He can get his manure
cheaper. But can hef Let us look at it a
little. What has the clover actually cost him
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 seme 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
cest thirty dollars per acre, reckoning the
manure at two dollars cord, andthe cartlng
at common prices.
The clover isjust where you want IT. ana
if turned in, will be more evenly distributed
han any stable manure gan be by tine must
laborious process. There is hardly an inch
square of the VIII le sod that will not feel
the effects Of the dec .mposing matter. There
is no expense for cart.ng, for spreading, or
narrowing. Then it is TO be cons dered that
it is not simply so much vegetable matter
added to the soil. but added to it in succu-
lent state, in which it will be rapidly decom-
posed aud changed into plant food. Green
crops, turned under in the early Summer,
affect the soil with which they come in con-
tact in some way that we do not fully under
stand. Possibly the asids released act upon
the mineral portions of the soil, and form
new compounds that are Immediately ayaila'
BILE for the food Of plants. Thisseems to bene
cessary to account for the beneficial effects
of plowing in at this season, rather. than IL
!. the Fall, when the fibre OF the grass is lhar
der or partially dried. Experience show
that the crop has by far the best effect whel
. it is turned under in the green state. and il
warm weather. 1t goes through very rap
id fermentation, aud in some manner shang
es the character of gaod deal of soil witt
which it comes in contact.
If farmer had all the manure he wanted
f and his fields all lay close to the barn yard
; it might not be economical to turn in greer
crol s, and especially clover which is so valua
, bic for fodder both green and cured. Blu
few farmers have as much manEre as the
! can use to good advantage. especially in tn
older States Some of the fields lie at q dis
. tanee from the barn, and the expense of gel
ting the manure on to the ground is create
/ than the cost of making the manure. An
: even if manure were plenty, it is good pla
t to have place in the rotation, were gree
& crop is turned in. Itdoesa good work fc
d the soil, that ca n be accomplished by no otl
= er method so economically. 1t makes
. splendid seed bed, and prepares the groun
a for winter grain in the best manner.
II seems great waste to spoil 80 mue
Q good food for beasts, but it is in keepln
with the economy of husbandry. 1t seems
n great waste to put eight or ten bushels ofpi
2 tatoes in the soil to get crops but the
a come back again many fold. That whic
y we SOW sis not quickend except it die.
D The seeming losses OF the farm are often ls
p gest gainsl If we are charmed with Il
d blossoms and the murmer of the bees, bett'
c. close our eyes and stop our ears, and let th
plow do its work. New life and vigor VI
e. be impaired to the soil, and there will con
q up out of the grave Of our buried hopes,
Id glorious resusrection--6elds Of tasselsd co
er or golden wheat to make glad the heart
I'd the hushandman. CONNECTICUT.