The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-01-24

q r L 4 .GttASGE IN DIX. SUMMERS. y
! !, Editors Ordnge6urq Democrat:
u. In accordance with a resolution
. passed by Pomona Grange No. II,
at a regular, meeting 4 held January
4th, 1879, send you the following
Essay, which was read by DR.. j: W.
Summers before the Pomona Grange
the, first Saturday i'm October, 1878,
at Cooper Swamp.
+ = =. = ~ D. "" CROOK, ''
Sec'ty Pomona Grange No. II.
j; !. The "Pea Us, a Fertilizer" was as
signed me as a subject for an essay to
be read before the Pomona Grange at
its July meeting, by our worthy lee
turer: '''"'
IIhaveSbeen largely indebted for
much valuable Information on this
important subject to n "Report o. the
Committee of the Agricultural Socie-
ty on, Coast Lands" Also to the
successful experiments of our worthy
Brother, Dr.. w. +. Barton, together
0with such facts as have come under
my own observation. r
The great object TO be attained by
the cultivation Of the soil is the pro
duction of the largest crops with the
least labor and expense. In the cul
f. tivation and production of no single
article of agriculture have such rapid
strides been made in any country in
the last decade, as that of, oats in
these Southern States; indeed in
some sections even ofl.our State il
has entirely supplanted corn as feed
for work animals, and the day is now
upon us when it is cheaper and more
profitable on our light lands, to raise
oats in sufficient quantities to feed
work stock the year round, +,thansto
{. raise corn = for that purpose. 10
those who have, been planting this
crop for the past two years this as
sertion needs no detailed illustra-
tions or explanations to prove the
facts. They are 4 satisfied on, this
: Point. tst,n.sS\I q.!sr79.( (tA'l "ii r..
77isriiiss .>.laSslit Arsofi hnost irnportanoo
Z then arises as the oat is a grass
feeder, and a, great cXhaustcr of the
soil, how:are we to raise this crop
and keep up the fertility of !. our
lands? In the pea as fertilizer we
have The answer to this question:
Recent experiments at the y tlantic
and Stono' Phosphate Works, rs we'll
as in our own county BY DR.. Barton
and others, prove that not only can
the present fertility Of our lands be
maintained and grow annual crops of
small grain on them, but their pro
ductive capacity can be wonderfully
increased by q judicious system OF
manuring with, the pea. What think
you Of an. old field, thoroughly OK
haustcd, and growing nothing but
froomsedge, by this sytem Of fertili-
zation being made to yield fifly-one
bushels of oats TO the acre? This
was not done by peas alone, it is not
to be supposed that lands SO poor as
,!this could of itself produce peavincs
q Ia
sufficient to make such a, crop of oats,
but by the aid and assistance of what
IS known rs the ash element applied
to the land in the spring at the time
of planting the peas, and in the fall
when the oats are planted, turning in
the vines with a two-horse plow.
This ash element is composed OF
ground phosphate rock, Kainer, or
German potash salt, sulphatc of lime,
aud perhaps some other, ingredient.
!, am inclined to believe it owes its
principal virtue to the potash salt, as
know. from experience il is an cx-
(, cellentj fertilizer for the pea. Also
instance the vigorous growth Of pea
vines where trash or log heap has
been burned, showing the value Of
potash as a manure for the pea. The
plan recommended by this committee
is. as follows: In The spring SOW
down 500 pounds of ash element and
two bushels OF peas to the acre, when
the peas die down, or in the fall
when you are ready to put in your
oats, SOW down on the vines and
turn all in together, or turn in the
vines and harrow the oats in after
wards with o heavy harrow: The
following spring or summer. when the
oats: are harvested. the land ia nro-