Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-01
Green Crops Among Corn for FertI.
Using Purposes.

| Green Crops Among Corn for Ecrti'
Using Purposes.
A practical farmer of Bucks county,
Pa, communicates the following to the
Rural NeaO Yorker.
There are not many crops that viii give
a greater return in bulk of vegetable mat
ter to the soil than the corn crop; nor is
there any with which 50 many different
plants can grow during its growth with
out detriment to the crop. Clover, tur.
nips, rye, buckwheat, and other crops
might be sown among corn, after a Ger
tain stage of progress in its growth, with
out materially affecting the maturing of
the crop. Their relative value stands in
the order in which they are placed. First
clover, which is considered the best plant
fertiliser known, and if designed TO pillow
under for that object, win improve land
| fifty per cent cheaper than any other
method that can be devised. If farmers
can arrange their routine of farming so
as to apply their fresh, unfermented man
ure to the corn crop, instead of letting ii
lay in the barn-yard whole year exposed
to waste, it will tell tale of profit which
cannot fail to be seen after the expert
! ment has been tried, because the parts
that would be lost in the barn-yard by
washing away with rain, and waste by
evaporation, would be secured to the soil,
and at least will be saving of twenty
five per cent of manure. Then let farm
ers take it for granted, that it is best not
to let manure lay in the yard to waste,
when it might be in the soil serving bet
ter purpose. Make double doors to the
stables to admit the backing in of cart,
and haul out the manure, fresh and drip
ping with urine, to the field by only once
handling. If the land is level, spread it;
if otherwise, deposit it in heaps, where
the juices cannot be washed away
A loose, loamy soil is among the best
for a crop of corn. Wheat stubble land,
with a heavy growth of clover to pillow
under, will make the best show of crop,
if MANFRED well on the surface during the
fall and winter. If it is intended to sow
clover seed among corn after the last
working, the corn should be planted as
early as possible that its cultivation may
be sooner completed so as TO give the
clover longer chance to grow; but it is
best not to plant corn before the ground
is warm enough TO terminate the seed.
The land can be narrowed mellow, and
ridged 10 expose the greatest surface to
the sun to receive warmth, and narrowed
level again previous to planting, all of
which will lessen the cultivation after the
corn is planted. That planted later in
ground well pulverized, in fine tilth, and
made warm by the exposure to solar in
fluenee, will outstrip in growth corn
planted earlier in soil so rough and hard
that the delicate fibers of the plant cannot
penetrate If. Nothing is gained by plant
ing too early, before the ground is made
loose and warm.
The next thing to be considered is, what
kind of corn is best to plant so as to grow
early aud favor the crop of clover, the
seed of which is to be sown among it,
just before passing the cultiyator through
for the last time and which is to cover the
clover seed In latitude north of Mary
land the eight-rowed yellow corn will be
best to plant, in land of only medium
quality, for that purpose.
Here in Bucks county, Pa, the corn
fields are marked out four feet each way,
and three or four grains planted to the
hill, with compost or ashes at the time of
planting, to give the infant germ a new
start. As soon as the corn has grown to
finger height, the plOwman begins to
pillow, with one horse and a light pillow
with q sharp, wide share to it, and plows
| from the corn both ways of the field, run
ming the bar of the share very close to the
small corn, leaving the hills standing on
little isolated squares, high and dry, and
secure from the cold and wet, exposing
the most surface to the genial warmth of
the sun. The ground is left in this ridged
up, rough condition for few days, TO al
low the sun to wilt the grass, and young
weeds that may have started to grow,
| after which the earth is leveled by the
CultivatOr and kept constantly stirred by
the same implement, until the corn is little
more than knee high; then pillow shallow
| fuTrOw close to the corn both ways of the
field, afterwards resort to the cultivator
again to level and mellow the ground.
Then SOW six quarts of clover seed to the
acre, or more if it is cheap and plenty.
Considering now that the ground is well
and deeply pulverized, and the corn be-
ginning to extend its roots and small
fibres rapidly, all through the soil, il is
best to stop art and let nature, with the
aid of rain and sunshine, do the balance
of the work towards perfecting the crop.
Corn and clover, thus planted together,
will grow to advantage. The clover will
usurp the place of weeds, and its growth
will not be much, if any, detriment OF dis
advantage to the growth of the corn.
Clover will grow on well MANFRED corn
ground, quite good crop from the first
of July till winter sets in, if the season is
moist and favorable, and it will make q
good covering TO protect the ground dur
ing winter. Experiments have been
made, as to what amount of weight in
tops and roots of clover, can be thus pro.
duced among corn to the acre. Ono
square yard dug up by the roots and
weighed, was found to weigh three
pounds, at which rate an acre would yield
more than seven tons of green vegetable
matter to be added to the fertility of thu
soil.
RYE AMONG CORN.
Rye may be reckoned among the hes
substitutes for clover among corn; it vii
Weld about the same amount of substance
to the acre, but is of poor quality, com
pared to clover, for fertilizing land. On,
advantage claimed for rye is, it will max
| ,actura for calves and sheen during thf