The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-06-28
farmers' Column.
"Speed the PlOsU.o


The american Farmer for June contain
ed several contributions from correspond
ents, on Improving Poor Lands without
the use of commercial fertilizers One of
these correspondents writing from Illinois,
says:
This is our plan: Just as soon as we
get our wheat off the ground in July, we
pillow and sow buckwheat. In September
when in full bloom we pillow it under and
sow in rye, top-dressing the rye with all
the manure we can get. This rye gives us
fine winter pasture that, for calves, colts
or sheep, more than pays all the cost. We
thus save the hay and corn our neighbors
feed, and our young stock comes out in the
spring fat and sleek, because of having
kind of feed adapted to their age and di-
gestive powers. Early in May we pillow
under the rye, if for corn, and we plant in
proper season manure in the hill to give
corn start, and by the time our rye is suf-
fciently rotted for plant food, the feeding
roots have absorbed and passed our hill
manuring and taken hold of this rich mass
of rotted rye. The entire expense of this
will not be over $3.50 per acre; and these
two crops of green manure will equal 60
or 70 loads of good stable manure 1t don't
matter what chemistry says about it; the re-
suit proves it. The blowing and harrow
ing pays big interest of itself "Tillage
is manure"
Take another condition:
We want to follow corn with wheat At
the last blowing or "laying by 1--WE use
level culture) we SOW bushels of rye Just
before the pillow (our last blowing in July
or August sometimesD the rye starts with
the August rains and does not hurt the
corn in the least and by the time the corn
is off we have carpet of green rye. This
with the stalks makes grand winter pas
ture. When in blossom, pillow it under,
and SOW Hungarian grass. When it is in
blossom, SOW half bushel seed while
standing; then with moving machine cut
first crop; let it fall back and stay on the
ground,-th seeding and sprouting of the
first crop makes heavy growth, which, in
August, or when in bloom, we pillow under,
claiming down to cover all the green
growth and mulch. We let lie until ready
to seed (unless q green growth threatens,
which we keep back with harrow3 we har-
row and roll thoroughly to further pack
the ground, and drill our wheat. A field
that will only bring at best or 10 bushels
will, with this treatment, jump to 20 or 25
bushels. All this accomplished with no
outlay in money at ALL The seed may all
be raised Eat home" AS with winter rye,
we give the poorer places top-dressing of
manure,-all we can spare.
The number of green crops that may be
turned under is very great, and they cost
nothing: so the Door man may lust as well
enrich his land from natures store.house,
and do it as etfectually as the rich man can
his from the use of bought fertilizers.
These rich treasures stored in the atmos-
phere come on lines on which there are no
freight collectors; they are put just where,
by our industry, we prepare for them. A
well-prepared field seeded with a crop Of
green manure, our "draft"-nature our
"bank"-it neither suspends nor breaks,
but pays in full "all demands"