The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-03-20
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CHEAP MANURES FOR MARKET AND
FARM GARDENS.

k00t, ROck1oru Ill, puolisheu III the
February number of the AGRICULTURE
1sT, is strong argument in favor OF
green manuring as remedy against
drought which often cut short the farm
er's crops:
We frequently read that out West"
the farmers burn their straw, and move
their barns to get away from the ma
nure. | am so unfortunate as not to
live in such q neighborhood, but on the
contrary, find my neghhors just as anX-
ious to "huv, beg, or steal manure, as
| am. so that after getting all the stable
manure can. am still short, and COM
PEELED to seek other fertilizers While
using in greater or less degree all Of
them, none have proved SO cheap and
so profitable as green manuring, /. e.,
growing crops to be turned under before
maturity.
In sections where clover does well,
that is of course one of the BEST but
in this latitude rye has been my most
profitable green manure and l think Is
especially adapted to gardeners needs.
Some wears ago just at planting time, l
found myself short of suitable land for
still another variety of seed melons,
which | was obliged to grow, and leased
ten acres of land upon which was grow
ing crop of rye. turned under the
rye with a chain on the plow, about the
middle of May, and planted Nutmeg
Melon The occasional straws sticking
up, gave the field a ragged appearance
for time, but when the midsummer
drouth was upon US, and other fields
succumbed, this one looked as fresh and
vigorous as could be, and in fruiting
even exccIed the promise its appear
ance gave. The yield of seed was
more than one-half large than on SINH
lar land in good heart, but not green
MANFRED have practiced green manur-
ing ever since, and always with salts
faction Its benefit seems to be due
not only to the available fertility it fur
nshes, but also to its mechanical effect
on the soil, and thus maintaining mos-
ture through our worst drouths. | sow
rye thickly-about pecks to the acre
and early ifpossible, so that the plants
shall stool out before Winter, endure
the exposure better, and make a quicker
and larger growth in the Spring. If
any coarse manure can be spared, we
spread it broadcast during the Winter
1t protects the rye from Winter killing,
andiike all Winter and Spring top-dress
ing, induces increased growth, and both
directly and indirectly helps the sub
seGuent crop.
Rye seems especially adapted to the
farm gardeners use, since a large por-
tion of his crops are out of the way in
time to SOW it, and moreover a number
of tender vegetables can not be planted
until we'll into May, by which time the
growth is as large as can readily be
turned under In this way it utilities
the land during that portion of the year,
when it would otherwise be idle, and in
which no ether crop can be grown.
Upon the farm too it comes in nicely, if
the succeeding crop is to be corn, roots,
or late potatoes, and more particularly
sewed corn for fodder, for which it seems
to be especially adapted. Even after
corn 1 succeed we'll with it, sowing it
broadcast and cultivating it in leaving
the corn hills standing, as they gather
snow and help to protect the rye in
Winter. | have sown peas-common
field varieties, Marrowfats, or any dam
aged seed Of tall varieties-after early
potatoes, even as late as middle of Au-
gust, and when at their largest, some
time in October, turned them under, and
used the ground for early Spring plant
ing, and found it excellent. 1t is supe-
rior to rye onl y in this respect, that the
ground is available for the earliest plant
ings.
Duckwheat makes an excellent ma
nure, when the ground is ready for it in
season, being Of quick growth, great
bulk, and permeating the soil with roots,
while the tops cover the surface and
choke out all weeds; but it must be
grown and turned down between frost
and frost, at just the time when every
foot of the gardeners soil is occupied,
so that | have found but limited use
for it, except on very poor soils which
where unavailable until more heart could
be given them.
Sowed corn is subject to quite the
same commentator and criticism Each
is excellent in fitting land for turnips,
grown in place of a summer fallow.
Upon land too poor to sustain crop,
being light gravcly soil with little
vegetable matter, have sowed corn
thickly in May, and turned it under
early in August, and then sowed Mar
rowfat peas, which were turned under
early in November These gave suffi-
cient substance to the soil to mature
excellent crops of lettuce and flower
seeds the next season, receiving in addi-
ton slight top-drcssing of fine manure
i think green manuring especially yalu-
able on light soils.
OF course | would myself, and would
recommend to others to get every fork
full of manure to be had, aud apply it.
And vet upon the same land ! would
in addition apply green manure when
ever practicable The labor of apply
ing evenly 40 loads of manure per acre,
is considerable All this is done more
evenly by the green crop. Seed and
labor together, cost me but $3.50 per
acre | can not say that it adds as
Inutn ieTIlHiN 10 tue SOil as ~ lOauS OF
manure, but | do say that in our
drouthy seasons, it produces as great
an increase Of crop as do 40 two-horse
loads of good manure. How much of
this Is due to its ability to resist drouth,
and how much to increased fertility, | can
not say. 1t certainly pays to practice it,
and to practice it largely even on the
land we'll supplied with stable manure,
as that increases the vigor and growth
of the green crop, which is Immediately
with additions returned to the soil
All these crops are SO heavy that
they must be "chained down. l. G., q
heavy chain is hung from the end of
the whitiietree cross-bar to the pillow
beam. with slack enough so that it drags
just ahead of the uprising furrow, and
thus pulls down every stalk into the