Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-01-28
Rye as a Green Manure for the Gar.
den and Farm.

NOTHING in gardening is of more i'm
portance than manure, and it is, of course,
never possible 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, the cheapest and best of
which, believe, after several years trial
OF it, to be green manures, or growing
crops plowed under
Every one knows the value of clover rs
a fertilizer, but 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 practicable. After trying many
different green crops l am quite certain
that for the gardener, and often the farm
or, in the West nothing is so valuable as
| rye. Its growth is made late in autumn
and early 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 il
in September, and the ground is not need
ed for them again till 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 particu-
! larly sowed corn for fodder, for which il
seems especially adapted. Even after
corn succeed we'll with it, sowing il
broadcast and cultiyating it in. leaving
the corn hills standing, as they gather
snow and holp to protect the rye in winter.
| SOW the seed thickly-about six pecks
to the acre-and early if possible, so that
the plants shall stool out before winter,
endure exposure better, and make quick.
er and larger growth i'll hespring. When
the ground is wanted for planting-usually
from May 20 to June I've turn it under
with chain. 1t is often three feet high,
and thick as only such heavy crop can
be, but with heavy chain hung from the
end of the whiffle cross s-bar to the plow
beam, with slack enough so that it will
drag just ahead of the uprising furrow, il
will pull down every stalk into the empty
furrow as nicely as it could be laid by
hand land the whole mass be buried out OF
sight. A little practice will soon teach
just the amount of slack needed
My attention was first called to the value
of this crop for manure almost by acci-
dent. Some years ago, just at planting
time, found myself short of suitable
land for still another variety of seed
melons, which l wac obliged to grow
and leased ten acres of land upon which
was growing crop of rye This turned
under and planted to nutmeg melon. The
occasional straws sticking up gave the
field rugged appearance for time, but
when the midsummer drought was upon
us and other fields succumbed this one
looked as fresh and vigorous as could be
and in fruiting even exceeded the prom
Use its appearance gave. The yield o.
seed was moro than one. half larger thar
on similar land in good heart, but no
green manured. l have practiced it evel
since and always with satisfaction, the re-
suits the last season being on some fields
more striking than in any previous year
Its wonderful efficiency in promoting
yield is due, apprehend, not only TO the
available fertility it furnishes, but also tc
its mechanical effect on the' soil, thus
maintaining moisture through our worst
droughts.
OF course l would myself, and would
recommend TO others TO, get every forkful
OF manure 10 be had and apply it,
And yet upon the same land would, in
addition, apply green manure whenever
practicable. All this is done more evenly
by tie green crop. Seed and labor to-
gGlher cost me but $3.50 per acre. l can.
not say that il adds as much fertility to
the soil as forty loads of manure, but / do
say that in our droughty seasons it pro-
duces as gr at an increase of crop as do
forty two horse loads of good manure. II
certainly pays TO practice ii largely even
on land well supplied with stable manure,
AS that increases The vigor and growth OF
the green crop, which is Immediately, with
additions, returned to the soil.-J0urnGl
| Of Agrieukture