Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1866-06-07
AGRICU 1T q R E.


Ftom the Germantown Telegraph
GREEN MAsURINa There 10 a wide range |
Of plants which are well adapted TO green ma.
nuring, but as general rule their adaptibil-
ity for aoiling 10 q criterion from which to
judge of their value as green manure.
Spurry (Spergula Awensis) is perhaps the
plant which OF ali others will yield the most
green vegetable matter In given space oftime.
It seems specially adapted to poor, dry, sandy
soils, and upon sush soils the crop OF green
matter will mostly reach six thousand pounds
in weight, and we may raise two If not three
crops In a season, and still be early enough to
put iu q crop of winter wheat. Ia Europe
where it is mostly used, crop Is sown In
March and turned under during the early May, |
and the ground again sown to produce crop |
| in July, which, when plowed in May, may be
| followed by a third one, which is turned un-
| der before seeding time tor wheN. AS to It's
| adapts bility to our soil and climate, eau say
but little. Two years ago quantity OF the
seed was imported and distributed through
the Agricultural Department OF the patent
| office, but have never heard that any report
OF its success or failure was made. In En-
gland it is sometimes grown on the wheat
| stubble al. err the removal Of the crop, and al
| lowed to stand all wiuter to be plowed IN
early in the spring for another round of green
maturing AS above; and so they will continue
with crops OF green alternated with two,
| three, or TOUR crops Vi opurry uuuo' !
| and not only obtain good crops, but bring the
land into good heart with rapidity that will
| surprise those who are not familiar with the
effects of green vegetable matters In the soil.--
t No doubt many of our readers will be disposed
! to doubt the profit of this mode of enriching
: J poor land, but let US examine iato the matter
o more infinitely. II a person has given
A amount of poor land which at at a given ex-
o pense he Wishes topermanently enrich in the
3 soonest possible time, he has the choice Of
g two plans. First, TO buy manure, either com
a mon barnyard, or artificial, and apply it In
!. such quantities as will produce the crops he
= wants, or he can follow the plan sketched ou
in my last, by green manuring The English
ia farmer can do either, Tor he can at reasonable
n prices purchase artificial manure which HI
n has u reasonable expectation of finding pure
IA and to be what he purchased 1t Tor, or he ca
I'd produce two or three crops OF spurry. Let
te take tho most unfayorable position, and sup
W. pose that after having taken an unsatisfactor
m crop OF wheat off, he seeds the ground dow
re with spurry to be turned under that fall, mel
Dir spring he sows again, and so on until time
' put in wheat, say August, and has turned un
nv der but three crops. Now what has this in
I'D provement cost him2 He has lost the intere
on the hrst cost OF the land for, say II
months (altheugh u considerable portion
the winter was passed without any CROP Il
ON seed, and some may say the trouble OF plo'
md ing. Now | think the effect produced, will
lou fully equivalent to that of half ton OF pho
raj phate or bone, at cost Of say from twenty
the twenty five dollars per acre; aud the ques,i
Oh for each one TO answer will be whether I
on, system OF green manuring, (all things com
OK edl cost this much. We must also take II
lea COT sideration the benefit derived from the
} be peated plowpgs which the Land has receiv
the and which has almost paid for itself in
rec eradication OF weeds, and useless plants
lch- In Italy, southern Germany, and in
orne south Of France, the white Lupin is much C
: 10 tivated rs green manure. or this crop
have reports Of from ten to twelve tons
Re- green vegetable matter in Tour months nor
nov the growth above ground all that is to be
d at rived from this plant tor its roots often
ar tend to the depth Of twenty to thirty inchei
k, OF With such plant there ia one benefit VIII
18th we are too mt to overlook or under estm
ched when we consider its value as green man
Tor aud that 10 the depth TO which the root extel
! the Now a root extending to the depth OF oigh'
was or twenty lnchee must bring into the circ'
iE to uou of the plaut large amount OF matter
pros rived from the subsoll, which, when the p
is turned under, is lett near the surface O
and least in the surface soil.
It the This plant seems tO be adapted to any
| Col OF soil, but a marty or cnlcareous one,
nInu- hence would suit large portion OF DELAY
TO n land. johnson states that it is particul
, FUR valuable in opening stiff clays, which sup
uars he attributed to the action OF the roots,
ough much may also be done by borrowing su
mass oil vegetable matter in stin clay
3. In some portions OF Germany the Veto
ustaa much used for this purpose, bnt it 10 &c
mt \ ally considered to be II more expensive
MN than either of the preceding, and does
nm ~. | usually produce near so much vegetable
- Ter in a given time 1t also requires str
$50 er soil, and seems we'll adapted 10 mar
Tbs calcareous soils to which Spurry and l.
ow in are hot autptou. 80 u.;p', 20 -
..rs ia time as the Spurry, but with the same r
,ninis | az far ms have heard,
II and Borage is much recommended by Lamp
an,ur. US, VINO states that it draws Mt least ten
;nLa,o | Ms much OF its sustentnce from the air
:. 49,. does from the soil. If this is correct i
doubleday is by far the most valuable.
tim ia Won Voght strongly recommends rye
Thnsn crop for green manure; but 1t requires
p, Eria longer to perfect IL crop, and is not deep
nicket ed enough for the purpose, but may do
having s"phutule IL aeePe' foo'su '"'' wv NV
n th.g coed.
,,ish Where we can succeed in getting
Inc / stand, turnips will no doubt form val
aments green manure. By sowing the seed thic
"a gnh | the corn Just previous To the last hoeha
,icina. ing, have had large mass of vegetable
~ ,h | ter to turn under rs soon as the corn crd
removed, and have found it TO be suihci
produce n good crop of late sown wheat
y THE out any additional manure. At an e1pe
about one dollar and half per acre, W
Asso. thus obtain a crop of green manure,
from "a ifnot turned under, will furnish good p
about in the fall and iu this way much NOR
large repay the first crop, besides enriching til
n board In come portions Of southern New Yor
imputed sown broadcast at the rate OF one and
ard the to two bushels per acre, has been found
an efficient green manure; but five can
leratize SEINE Of the European plants, "
tany will have much better crops
cnnn,Y purpose than any which we now rs