Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-05-29
Rive for Green Manure.
WM. ]. FOWLER.

The experiment which tried last TALL
in sowing rye to be plowed under this
spring is a decided success. The rye
already covers the ground in a dense
mat and by the middle of May will give
several tons of green manure to be
turned under. Much Of this will be
water; but for the crop intend to plant
(potaioes) good supply OF moisture Is
Squite as important as fertility. l more
tban half believe that one reason why
potatoes are better crop on rich soil
than on poor Is because the rich soil
retains moisture better IN summer
dropghts. A heavy growth OF rye
tarned under in May will decompose
rapidly, furnishing both heat and mois-
ture to the growing crop. Even as
early as this, can see that the rye is
helping the land. lis network OF
roots draws moisture from the soil which
is thrown off BY the leaves, and also
gives considerable drainage. can
walk over a mass ofrye in early spring,
while bare ground plowed in the fail is
too spongy and wet to bear my weight.
l have no doubt it will pay to SOW rye
on corn or potato stubble in the fall,
when it is intended to pillow early and
SOW oats or barley. For this purpose ii
should be sown very early so as to ge'
as good a growth as possible in the fall.
At the best, there cannot be much to
pl,w under in April but the increased
dryness of the soil, enabling earlier
plcwing, is very important. The green
manure under the furTow will also have
a slight effect in keeping the soil from
becoming too compact. In other words
it will make the soil warmer and dryer
ia early spring and moister in the hot
dry weather OF July and August.
Rye is an excellent crop to sow IN
orchards to be plowed under as green
manure. Young orchards should be
kept exclusively in hoed crops; but the
serious difficulty is in finding manure to
keep the soil in condition. Six or ten
acres kept in hoed crops every year will
require all the manure usually made on
a hundred-acre farm. Either the Or
chard must be neglected or profitable
cultivation Of the rest Of the farm be
abandoned. Glover will not help US out
here. for good as clover is everywhere
else, II is death to young trees. The
clover plant makes IFS growth during
the summer and its roots strike down.
robbins the trees Unnecessary moisture.
What is needed for orchards is a crop
whose roots do not penetrate deeply and
which makes its growth in fall or early
spring while the trees are at rest. Rye
answers these requirements exactly
Besides, with rye as green manure the
ground is plowed at seasons when H.
iuries TO the roots by blowing are most
easily repaired. When clover is plowed
under in midsummer, tearing the roots
cfthe trees often gives them a shock
which does more injury than the decay
ing clover can do good.
On ether ground than orchard clover
Will and should be the main crop for
blowing under. But on every farm
there will always be some corn OF
potato stubble which would remain bare
during the winter, and on such fields
rye should always lie soWn. Ii Is al
ways injurious to land to b. left naked
at any season, and during the winter a
growth of rye is about the only pracu-
cal mode Of prOcting it.