The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-07-19

Again he says: 1.-THE plants ought to be
mown or narrowed and at once ploughed
in. before they come into flower. The
flower leaves give off nitrogen into the
air, and as the element is supposed cs
pecially to promote the growth of plants.
it is desirable to retain as much of it in
the plant and soil as possible. Another
reason is that, if allowed to ripen, some
OF the seeds may be shed and afterwards
infest the lands with weeds. ~ Idem, p.
525.) Low, in his valuable work, emit
tied Elements of Practical Agriculture,
says: ''The period at which the plants
should be ploughed down is just when
they are coming into flower, for then
they contain the largest quantity of read
lily soluble matter. and have the least
exhausted the nut.itive substance of the
soil" And the British Society for the
Diffusion of Useful knowledge, in speak
ing of green manures, say:
''The time of the year when they should be
ploughed in must, of course, depend upon
the nature OF the crop, which should always
be buried before it arrives at perfect maturity,
or otherwise it will rob the land of that nutri.
ment with which it is intended to sup
ply it. But the work should be done in the
heat of summer, or at least early in autumn,
while the sun has the power to forward the
fermentation-rotting Of the crop. The effect,
indeed will greatly depend upon the season,
for the process of fermentation is only slight
when checked by the want of free commune
cation with the air; and if the weather be cold
the power OF the manure will be, in great
measure. lost; but If the season be moderately
moist and warm the fermentation will be
much promoted, and the crop will be convert
Led, by putrefactiOn, into mass of nutritive
mucilege. Nothing short, however, of an
ABUNDANT crop will have that effect, as large
mass decomposes much more speedily than
. small one; and if very scanty, the latter,
perhaps, may not putrefy at all, or its decom-
position will be so very gradual that the land
will he very little perceptibly better; but if
such quantity be turned under the earth as
will excite the force of fermentation, there
can be no doubt but that it will be greatly as
well as promptly benefited. And there can
be little or no doubt that the crop should be
plOughed down as soon as 1t is in blossom. y
practical Treatise on Manure, PIP. ITO, 171.)
A good green manurial crop will form
a dense and close mass of vegetable mat
ter, from twelve to fifteen inches high.
And this, when ready for the plough,
should be rolled down with heavy roll
er the same direction that our burrows
are to run, and ALSO be rolled in the
morning when the dew is on it. as it will
then roll down more evenly and nicely.
And this vegetable mass should be thor
oughly ploughcd in, so as not to leave
any part of 1t sticking up and out be-
tween the burrows, as such pleughing is
not only slovenly, but wasteful.
Macro, an eminent British farmer,
says:
"From upwards Of twenty years experience
I'm of opinion that the best way of sowing
clover lands with wheat is to plough the and
ten or fourteen days before soaOing it, that the
land may have time to get dry, and after rain
to make it dress well. Il am at loss for the
wheat thriving better on lands which have
been ploughed some time than it does on fresh
ploughed lands, which dress as well or bet
ter; but 1 have often tried bo'h ways on the
same lands, and always found the former an
swer best. "-(Fessenden's Complete Farmer,
page ll5.)