Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-02-22
How to Improve Worn Land.

:
matter. This is the cheapest and
quickest mode Of restoring worn land to
fertility. where plentiful supply Of
bam-yard manure is not at hand Or
at low prices.
Any land that will yield a good crop
of clover or Of grass will as rarely yield
a good crop OF corn; oats, wheat or roots.
A good rich turf will produce good
yield Of any other crop: and it IS easier
to bring an Impoverished field directly
into turf, than in to grain without
turf-that is, can be sooner brought in
to clover or grass, from barrenness.
than into grain from same condition
This we know from years Of experience,
in different sections and soils, and by
observation.
All productive soils are made Of
mineral and vegetable matter, in various
proportions and all plants. in their
growth, absorb those matters from the
soil, II different proportions and con-
d;tion; which exhaustion must, in some
manner, be restored 10 the soil. for the
use Of further plant growth. Now, al
knowledge Of geology and chemistry en-
ables person 10 know hoFy to supply
this demand; hence. all these things
should be taught in all 81 our country
schools, to the children while they are
young and Learn easily.
Having, then, thus gstteh the land
into condition by draining, deep or sab
soil blowing and pulYerized by rolling,
for the next step clover and red top, or
clover and timothy, Should be soWn.
with or without grain, either IN autumn
or spring; but, in either case, lei the
ground be narrowed and rolled; this
covers, sets, and protects the seed and
young plant better, while It also levels
and snooths the surface by crushing the
Jumps and clods, leaving more pleas
AMI surface TO NOV and harvest from.
In this connection there IS one point
not generally thought of or known that
it Is better to SOW clover in the chat
than the clean seed; for4tne reason that
tie cioYer-chaf helps 70 hold or tx the
seed n tae soil and furnishes some
nutrinent to the young plant til, its
roots expand and take 4 firm hold III
the ground. This can only be done
when the farmer raises his own seed,
which IS the best way. When We lived
at the North and West. this was ccm-
mon practice farmers hauled the second
mowing, which is best for seed, Of clover
on to the barn Aoor,. threshed it out,
and when the straw or haulsn was
raked OF, the heads were again pounded
out, Or tramped over well by hor sosit
was believed to be sovn more evenly
in this way, and was sure to make a
better ''catch," than when clean seed
was sown; unless, when q good seed
drill was used, followed BY thorough
narrowing and rolling; but this last
operation. rolling and narrowing, should
be done in either case.
This e,over-crcp can be ploveG-.n, to
very good advantage, when it has grown
one year, and other crops raised from
Il; or, if desired, It can be continued
several years as hay and pasture re-
source. if stock raising IS to be pursued.
In the spring, as soon as the weather
becomes little dry and warm plaster
should be spread on this growing clover,
at the rate Of to bushels. the acre,
which Will hasten and increase its
growth much more than the cost Of the
plaster; and no other crop responds TO
plaster more richly than clover. Even
sowing plaster on clover afEer first
moving results il great advantage TO
the yield.
PloWing-;n os many otier crops. Is
also good way to restore worn land !;
such as lueerne. millet, peas. buck
wheat and some others. And 70 OBJ
tain the largest and richest returns
plaster ana lime should Be applied. the
first only in dry time.
Green manaring IS tie cheapest,
quickest and easiest system for recupera-
ting worn lands It does not require
the heavy h2uiing and spreading fiat
manure does.
Farmes who have not tried ii much,
and have net closely observed The
practice. can scarcely realize, and viii
hardly credit the power Of green man
urtng to restore and enrich poor and
worn lands up to fertility. Ii is the
quickest and easiest mode Of replacing
the exhausted and needed vegetable
humns. and organic elements, SO essen
tial 70 thrifty, iuxuriant plant growth.
That element, Of course, is also album
dainty supplied By barn-yard manure,
muck, peat and forest-leaf mold. when
they can be had plentifully; but the
application Of them is attended with
much hard labor IN hauling ana spread
| ing: still, the operation richly pays for
all toe cost and labor, that it costs.
But seeding and plobing-in clover,
peas, grasses and other green crops viii
effect the same object with much loss
labor, and can be had in all localities
while barn-yard manure cannot always
be had, in all places.
And when the soil is well supplied