The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1880-06-25

behind the face oil the return, and the post
master has certainly returned what is SO
on its face. And yet the face of this re-
turn. unlike former ones from this and 9TH
or States, cannot be utilized. So the Hon
Geo II. Dawson is in a quondary, and the
question now arises, what does he propose
to do sbout it ?-GreenuiUe Neps.
- -.---.o.-
, AN ,IMPORTANT LESSON FROM THE
PAsT.-There are lands in some sections so
largely composed of the mineral clements
required by wheat, that many years of con-
tinued cropping will hardly show deteriora.
tion when the inorganic matter furnished
by clover alternately grown is supplied; but
deterioration will in time surely follow
There is no soil that has proved more en-
during for wheat than calcareous clay
loam of alluvial formation. Such is the
character of a large portion of western
New York, aad yet the alternate Groupings
with wheat and clover has ip past years
resulted in exhaustion Of the mineral
properties of the soil. To relate my own
experience will corroborate this fact
My farm is heavy limestone soil, under
laid with lime rock; the soil being from one
to ten feet in depth. From the early cul-
tivation of tho land, which was about 1920,
up to 1886, winter wheat was grown con
tnuously, without clover or any fertilizer
except the little manure made in the barn
yard which was only drawn on the land to
get it out Of the way around the barn
A bout this period, from 1885 to 1887,
there appeared to be general failure of
the crop. From that time we began to sow
clover to enrich our lands, and with great
success. The system Of wheat aud clover
in alternate years was followed, and with
such abundant crops that wo thought it
could never fail; but after following the
system some ten years our wheat became
less fair and plump, and while the growth
OF straw was In most cases increased, the
yield OF grain was less. The clover also
began TO fail and it was difficult to Get n
good seeding. We continued Oh in the
same course OF wheat and summer.fallow
till 1854 and '55, when we met total fail.
ure. Still having an abundant growth of
straw, the straw became weak, so that it
would fall down before the grain was ri.
pened, and the grain would be shrunken.
We attributed the failure to an insect, but it
was the unhealthy condition of the crop
that invited the insect, or that made its .ie
struction possible. The speciality of wheat
growing was from this time discontinued
and more rational system of mixed hus,
bandry adopted.
A few years later the use of mineral fer.
tllizers was found to be necessary to restore
our lands to their former productivcness
aud now so common has the use of such
fertilizers become that but little grain is
s9}wn ~ q ,sj Without them aud the average yield
greater than in any like period in the pre-.
vious quarter OF a century, and fully up to
the average of earlier times, when we stood
number one as whea:.growing section
All productive soils contain a given quantity
OF elements of plant.food, and ali grain
crops carry away portion of these elements,
and If not restored there must be deterio.
ration by constant cropping, and while clio.
yer is largely beneficial in bringing the
crude elements into condition available to
the wheat crop, it cannot restore what is
carried away by it. If either of the ele.
ments of plantfood is exhausted there can.
not be perfect crop grown, aud it is the
true policy Of the farmer to restore annu.
ably to his soil the elements nee led which his
crop carries away. F.P. RooT.
Monroe County, N. Y, ~