Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-02-12
Green Manuring.

The inquiry of Mr.. Gallup under the head
Of "Notes and Queries" we deem an oppor-
tune one.-one which nine-tenths of our
Vermont farmers would do well to take as a
text for research and experiment. The
practice of blowing under green crops as fer
tilizers is nothing new, it having been done
for centuries.
There is hardly farm in Vermont which
on all parts produces very nearly all that il
is possible to produce Thousands Of acres
are annually titled or mown which actually
do not repay the expense laid out upon
them. While there are few farmers who
will deny that their land might be made
more productive, and that proftably, they
generally are not quite ready to commence
the work, or, as some will claim, have not
the means. Now we do not believe in Guilt
waiting more land than one has the means to
bring to high state of productiveness, and
We do not believe the way to bring it to that
state is by the purchase Of large quantities
of any of the commercial fertilizers on the
market. The use Of superphosphates and
other commercial manures is sometimes adj
vantageous and profitable, and we would by
no means dissuade those who have thus re-
ceived benefits from using them, but we
would most decidedly advise those who are
not thoroughly acquainted with their use to
be cautious and begin sparingly.
But while there is so great field for i'm.
provement in the productiveness of farms,
the fertilizer question is one which proper
ly commands perhaps more attention than
any other question connected with agricul-
ture. Many man wishes to increase the
fertility of his soil who does not see his way
clear to pay money for fertilizers. With
such, our advice would be, first Of ALL to
take such steps as would ensure the saving
Of all substances of manurial value produced
on the farm When the farmer has made
provision for saving all the liquid manure,
the night soil, the kitchen slops, &C., and
composing them properly with muck or
some other good absorbent, and also for keep.
ing all his manure protected from the wind
and rain, he has done what not more than
one in twenty ever do, and what will return
him greater per cent of profit on the labor
expended than any other branch of farm in
dustry.
We frequently see put forth theory that
land ought occasionally to be allowed rest.
We have heard it quite strongly argued that
as the Jews were required to allow the land
to rest one year in seven, so all land ought
to be allowed to rest. Now while we be.
lieve that an actual rest of the land, no vege-
tatiOn being produced and no blowing or
other disturbing of the soil taking place,
does not benefit it in the least, it is plain
that to leave upon the soil the crop it has
produced is to return to it those elements
that have been eliminated and taken up by
tho crop. But the amount taken from the
soil is not so great as most people imagine.
Prof. johnson says, "a multitude Of obser-
yations has demonstrated that from ninety
five to ninety-uine per cent of the entire
weight of agricultural plants is derived d.
rectly or indirectly from the atmosphere"
Thus it will be seen that allowing a crop to
grow, and blowing it under to decay, will add
materially to the crop-producing value ofthe
soil, though it must be remembered that a
large share of this ninety-fve or ninety-nne
hundreths is water.
Buckwheat is quite extensively used in
green manuring, and is considered specially
favorable crop for the purpose from the fact
that while it will grow on very poor land its
foliage is abundant, and consequently affords
a large amount of material to be decomposed
and form the food of future crops On very
poor soil probably no better crop could be
selected for the purpose. According to
analyses by Prof Wolff the straw of buck
wheat contains, in 1000 parts 5l.7 of ash
potash, 24.l; soda, IL; magnesia, 10;
lime, 9.5 phOsphoric acid, 6.l sulphuric
acid, 81 silica, 49, chlorine, L. The
grain contains of ash, 9.5; potash, 81
soda, Is magnesia, IL; lime, 3 phOsphOr-
ic acid, A sulphuric acid, 2 cholorine, 2.
OF course an analysis of the grain and straw
will give but proximate idea Of the value
of the green herb at the time it would be
plowed under, (which should be done before
the formation of the blossom, as tho blOsso IN
gives off nitrogen to the air. but as most OF
the value of the grain is derived from the
stalk and leaves this analysis may be regard.
ed as not without value in determining the de-
STABILITY Of this crop for blowing under.
The straw OF buckwheat contains very little
ammonia, (about IL pounds in 2O00 the
estimated product of an acre. and is nearly
worthless for fodder, but it is valuable as
manure for its lime, potash, aud phosphoric
acid. 1t contains 1872 pounds in 1000 of
phosphoric acid % pounds Of lime, and over
SO pounds of potash, according TO the tables
given by Bruckner. We frequently see
buckwheat straw used for every thing else
but manure, carried into the sugar place,
packed around water logs, &C., they suppOs-
ing that because poor for fodder it must be
poor for manure, when in fact it has much
more value as manure than the best oat
straw.
The same crop would not have equally