Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg Court House [S.C.]) 1877-1881, 1879-01-24


Saturday in October 1878 at Cooper
Swamp.
ID. w. CROOK,
Secretary Pomona Grange No. II.
January 18th 1879.
The Pea as a Fertili7 r.
Dr.. SUMMERS Essay before
POMONA GRANGE.
Worthy Mnshr,
The "Pca us n Fertilizer" was
assigned nn as Il subject Cor an
Essay to be r-al before Pomona
Grange at its July meeting, by our
worthy Secretary.
| have been largely indebted for
much valuable information on this
important subject. to IL Rep rl of
the Committee of the Agricultural
Society of South Carolina on Coast
Lands" Also to the successful eS-
pcriments Of our worthy Bro. d.. w.
+. Barton; together with such facts
as have com under my own observa
ton.
The great object to b~cattainel BY
the cultivation OF the soil, is tie pro-
duction OF the largest crops with tie
least labor and expense. 4: tho
cult vation and production of n,
single article ofagricuIture have su CHI
~, ,d : lids been made nj ony
country in the last ~,leca.le us thl, of
oats in these Southern States; indeed.
in some sections even OF cur State il
has entirely suprlane FL corn us Il
feed for work animals, AMI the day is
now upon lis when it is cheaper and
more profitable on our light Ian Is to
rn'se oats in sufficient quantities to
feed work stock the year round, than
to raise the corn for that purpose.
To tliose who have been planting
this crop for the rast two years, this
assertion neets no detailed iilustra-
tions Or expIana ions to prove the
fact.
They ere sa'is6. d OIL this point.
The question of most Importance
then arises, as the oat is Il gross feed.
CIR, and IL great eAha Is er OF I'll. soil.
how are we to raise THIS crop and
keep up tn, iertilizingo our lnn.ls ?
In the pea as n fertilizer we haze the
answer I" this question.
Recent experiments It the Atlantic
and Sl.M Phosphate works, us we'll
in on .wn County by DR. Barton
and others, prove that not only can
the pre-. ent fertility of our lan.ls he
maintained and grow annual crops of
small gain on them, but their pro-
duct sc capacity en- re won.le, fully
increased by Il julicirus system OF
mnnuring with the pea. What think
you ofan old field thoroughly exhaus
teal, and growing nothiny but broom
sedge, 10y this system of fertilization
being made to yiel.i 81 bushels Of oats
to tho acre? This vi ut done by
peas al, ne; it is not To hc supposed
that land so poor as this could of
it eff reduce p%cavine3 sufficient to
make such a crcp of oats; but by the
aid and assistance of what is known
MS the ash element app led to the
land in the spring at the time Of
planting the peas, and in the fall
when the cats are planted, turning in
the vines with a %twn-horsc low. This
ash element is composed Of grounl
Phosphate rock, KANT or German
Potash salt, sulphate Of ime, and
perhaps some other ingredient. l
am inclined to believe il owes its
PRINCIPAL virtue to the Potash salt,
MS | know from experience it is an
excellent fertilizer for the pea. Also
instance the vigorous growth Of pea
vines where 4 trash orlog heap has
been burnt, showing the value Of
Potash rs n M for the pea
The plan recommended by this
Committee is ms follows: In the
spring SOW down 500 lbs. Of ash ele