The Portland daily press., 1876-04-03
Rye as n Green Manure.

Nothing in gardening is of more importance
than manure, and it is, of course, never pos
sible to get too much. In fact, it is rarely
possible for the gardener to get enough stable
manure, and he must resort to some others,
after several years. trial of it, to be green ma
nures, or growing crops plowed under.
Every one knows the value of clover as
fertilizer, bat in many parts of the West it
cannot be successfully grown, and even then
the land must be laid aside two years or more,
and with the gardener this is rarely practical
BILE. After trying many green crops, am
quite certain that for the gardener, and often
the farmer, in the West. nothing Is so valu-
able as rye. Its growth is made late in
Spring at time when little else will grow, so
that the ground is free for this particular use.
In fact. all the tender vegetables are off in
time to SOW it in September, and the ground
is not needed for them again until May, by
which time the rye will be as heavy as can be
plowed under. Upon the farm, too, it comes
in nicely, if the succeeding crop is to be corn,
roots, or potatoes, and more particularly
sowed corn for fodder, for which it seems
especially adapted. Even after corn I sue
coed well with it, sowing it broadcast, and
cultivating it in, leaving the corn hills stand
ing, as they gather snow, and help to protect
about six pecks to 1.-THE acre and early, if
possible, so that the plants SHALL stool out be-
fore Winter, endure exposure better, and
make quicker and larger growth in the
Spring. When the ground is wanted for
planting, usually from May 20, to June b.
we turn it under with chain. 1t is often three
feet nigh, and thick as only such heavy crop
can be, but with a heavy chain hung from
the end of the whiffietree cross-bar to the
plow-beam, with slack enough so that it will
drag just ahead of the uprising furrow, it will
dox or l. int tbo Grrro
as nicely as it could be laid by hand. and the
whole mass buried out of sight. A little prac-
tice will soon teach just the amount of slack
needed.
My attention was first called TO the value of
this crop, for manure, almost by accident.
Some years ago, just at planting time, [
found myself short of suitable land for still
another variety of seed melons, which l was
obliged to grow, and leased ten acres of land
upon which was growing crop of rye. This
turned under, and planted to nutmeg mel
on. The occasional straws sticking up gave
the field ragged appearance for long time,
but when the midsummer droCth was upon
US, the other fields succumbed. this one
loked as fresh and vigorous as could be, and
in fruitng even exceeded the promise its.
appearance gave. The yield of seed was
more than one-half larger than on similar
land in good heart but not green MANFRED.
have practlced 1t ever since, and always
with satisfaction, the result the last year being
on soTe fields, more striking than in any
previous year. Its wonderful effect in pro-
noting yield is due, apprehend, not only
to the available frutility it furnishes, but also
to its mechanical effect on the soil, and thus
maintaining moisture through our worst
drouths.
OF course would myself, and would rec
commend to others, to get every fork-ful of
manure to be had, and apply it. And yet
upon the same land, would, in addition ap-
ply green manure whenever practicable. The
labor of applying even forty loads of manure
is considerable. All this is done more evenly
by the green crop. Seed and labor together
cost me but $3.50 per acre. | cannot say that
it adds as much fertility to the soil as. forty
loads of manure, but 1 do say that in our
droathy seasons it produces as great an in
crease of crop as do forty-two loads OF good
manure. 1t certainly pays to practice it, and
to practice it largely, even on land well sup
piled with suitable manure, as that Increases
the vigor and growth of the green crop which
is Immediately, with additions, returned 10 the
soil.-Roops Garden Manual.