The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-12-10
Great yaIno of clover as a Fertilizer.


Many ard varied are the attempts, in
this intelligent age, at restoring fertility
to the soil. Among the successful meth
ods green lnanuring stands out pr0mi-
nentlv though it is by 40 means new
device since The system was pr3ctlced
by the Romans over two Thousand years
ago. While not proposing TO discuss the
whole subject, which wO1id require
volume. yet a few points dedGcGG from
practical experience may be presented
with benefit 10 the farmer. The beue-
fits Of clover for this purpose are fully
recognized. Occasionally rye Is grown
for green maHur:nE, sowing II late IN
August, or more commonly from Sep
tember / 10 October ], and turning il
under about the middle of May, thus
growing a large bulk OF valuable fertil-
iZing material during a period when
most of the farm lands are lying idle.
Without discouraging the practice,
vet we think rye possesses Il value above
that of simply piOwing under as fer
tiliZcr. If SOwn in August or Septem-
Der. sheep might he turned upon it in
November. feeding down the growth,
though care should be exercised not to
Feed it too low. If the farmer has Il
few sheep which he desires To finish of
before winter, rye would make an eX-
cellent pasture for such purpose. In
April the rye would start, SO that III a
very short time the ewes and lambs
could be turned upon 1t and fed till the
time for plOwing IN another crop. True,
there would not be SO large a growth 10
turn under, but there would be Il great
er weight of roots and thicker herb
age. because the rye would tilier ont
more when fed in this manner than if it
was allowed Il continuous growth from
the time of sowing. Again. the drop
pings of the sheep would aid greatly in
fer1liZing the soil. The rye would also
start an abundance of milk with ewes,
while the lambs would fatten rapidly.
BY the time the rye was eaten off the
grass in the pastures would have OBJ
tanned good start so that the lambs,
if they should not be wanted for the
butcher, would make good size Tor !u-
ture stock Finally, the wool would
make excellent growth from such feed,
and the size OF the fleece would be in
creased, the staple being longer and
stronger in consequence thereof.
Our Eastern farmers have been trying
mauy.GeyiceS fUI procuring additional
suppIits of food for Olr dairy herds and
beef cattle. Is not some available
method for adding to the feeding ma
teridi for our fOcks OF sheep worthy Our
careful consideration Is there any
other way in which the fertility OF
many of our hillside farms can be re-
stored at SO lOW a cost Us by increasing
the number of sheep Raising uutton
and wool in larger quantities than at
present viii secure the financial pros
perltv of the farmers Of this section. II
is quite common in England to turn
sheep upOn wheat i'll th" fall they eat
It down, causing it to iiller more, while
their trampling upon the ground tends
to press the earth more closely against
the roots. preventing them from being
thrown out by he frosts in winter and
spring. Their droppiugs enrich the
soil and a heavier crop OF Waca, is The
consequence. II rye were allowed to
TipCu its seeds a heavier crop would 5e
the consequence Of its having been eaten
down in the fall 10y sheep Sometimes
wheat is eaten off III the spring, and so
might the rye yet whethhr This should
be dOEe or not would be a mttter for the
farmer to decide according to his iudi-
Yidual surroundings. But one thing Is
very CeTtaiu-Tye would make an excel
lent crop 10 turn under after having
been eaten off by the sheep in both the
fall and spring. Let every farmer
whose circumstances VIII permit de-
term.ns to add a flock OF sheep, large or
small, to his farm stock. invest igatinL
the question of cheap and available
feeding material, prOliting by the eX-
peUlence of thousands of British farmers
who have added TO the fertility Of their
acres, rs Swell as the length Of their
purse, through intelligent sheep hus-
bandry.-ImeTicgu CujtivGtOf.