The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-11-23
H, SOUTH CAROLINA NoyEsiAER 81 1877
PL0UGHING CROPS UNDER.

IL "naI eAtehG nave the evidences Ia
vored the plowing under of green Crops,
and how do the advantages of manuring in
this way, compar, with barn yard manure
L would like to hear from the Farm Jour.
nal on this point. J.T.S.
1t IS easy to answer that the growing of
green crops-clovcr more generally than
any other-has saved many farm. not
blessed with extra strong soil, from hone
essly running down, ensuring good CROPS
at the same time. Some otherwise sensible
men, go so far as to say that green crop
plowed-ander renders soil too acid, ,vhile
it canuot be said to add materially Us
productive capacity. These conclusions are
jumped at, and should not have weight, be.
cause the experience of years, not bringing
out mere opinions arrived at by guessing,
as men arc to apt to do, has shown conclu-
slvely that the plowing under of green
crops is one OF the means at our command
for ameliorating soil which needs artiG-
cial aid
The claim that these green crops, turned
under, afford only little woody fibre at
best, and that the gain made must necessa-
rlly be very small, is not sustained by
past experience, nor does it agree with Gu
ses which may be declared to be analogous.
For instance, most men are familiar with
the wonderful effect which the burying of
decayed woody fibre has upon the growth
OF vegetation occupying site over or near
where such deposit has been made, We
credit the results secured by planting any
crop on the site of decayed stumrs A
portion of this advantagc-and, by the way,
no lnconsiderable portion-comes of the
porous condition secured to the soil, by the
decay Of roots beneath the surface The
turning under Of green crops secures this
same porosity, and there is scarcely any
room to doubt that the advantages to vege-
tation from turning crops under, comes
largely from the friabe and mellow condi.
tlon In which the soil is placed by this
agency. 1t is with plant as with horse
or an OK, the food should be placed within
easy reach. We aim to do this with the
latter, as by this mode we expect to secure
the greatest gain to the beast, with the least
expense of feed. To place obstacles in tho
waI,ssYeh as are calculated to anuoy the
beast aud render hfhi RESTLESS, In pace q
eating his rations in the utmost quiet, or
llacing the plant in hard impacted soil, will
interfere with the object, no matter how
good the feed or how rich the SOIL
So in the case of the plant, as much de-
pends upon the ease with which the roots
can permeate the soil in search of nu.ri-
mcnt, as upon the mere richness, chemical.
ly considered, of the soil itself
AS to the comparative merits of green
crops and barnyard manure, it is not easy
to state, because of the many things to be
taken into account. These do not come up
nor are they suggested by your enquiry
This it is safe to say, that it is better to
make your own manure in your barnyard,
by keeping all the stock you can consistent.
ly carry, than to depend upon growing clo-
yer to turn Aadsr.-~ Xaaa grow stock prof;
ltably, you can count your manure as clear
gain, whereas, you hardly need to be rcmin-
ded that in growing the clover to turn un-
der, you not only appropriate the growing
crop, but the use Of the land for the cur
rent year also. Your manure counts as
waste, and you make it available without de-
laying any crop, and further than this, you
select your own time, when no other work
is in the way, for hauling it out Western
Farm Journal