Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-10-22
Green Manuring.

In attempting the improvement OF cu,
land By green manuring, we need to know
ut what stage of growth the plants should
he plOwcd down, for there is 4 stage of
growth when they hold the greatest guam
tity of organic matter beneficial to future
negotiations. and also how deep it is to be
buried in the soil, with other attendant
queries. The question also sometimes
arises how plOwing down only that which,
grows on the soil cnricheS it. We increase
the capacity of a soil for production, frc-
qucntly, by merely changing the combina-
tiOn. or locality in the ground, Of csscntia!
elements. The plant obtains some Of its
constituent elements from the air as well
Us from the soil 4 portion also is drawn
from the subsoil These clements form
compounds, some of which are found in
the sap. while others are found in the
leaves and other parts. Some of these
compounds are known to contain nitrogen,
which is u promoting agent of decay. The
decomposition of one constituent induces
other elements to leave their places and
form new combinations. Thus matter
goes through the process We term decay.
which, in reality, is only change. This
decay, or change, takes place much more
rapidly with green vegetation than with
that which has ripencd. Ii green vegcta-
ti"n is allowed to fall and decay in the
open air, very much Of it is lost to the SOL
in which it grew, having passed off in the
air but il the green vegetable matter be
covered in the soil then. then the absorb
tive capacity Of the soil is such that it
holds these elements, changing it to that
extent. The deeper vegetable matter is
buried the slower the process Of decay.
We thus save to our soil a portion of or.
sa,,ic plant food by plowirg under gree.
vegetable matter at the right stage oI
growth.
In experience, and 4 course of many
years observation. have found that greer
manurng plants should he plOwed under
previous to coming into blossom, in order
to obtain the largest benefit to the soil. |
have noticed that some farmers in order to
obtain large quantity to turn down,
wait till 4 later stage. May not much of
the difference of opinion of the value OF
green manuring arise from this cause? On
valuable land, near ready markets, tho
loss of 4 season, or even , single crop,
would often pay for manure and hauling
it from market still i'll such cases there is
much green vegetable matter, refuse,
which might instead of going to the COM
post heap, or be left rs is too often the
case, to waste away in the air, he lightly
covered in the soil, doing much good.
Even small growth of some kind of grain.
if sown very thick, would be 4 great bene-
fit not SO much perhaps, in the amount
Of fertilizing matter it would add to the
soil, as in the change. l know that here
aboute We cannot grow fair potatoes Oh
soil which has been planted to hocd crops 4
few years, but il We seed it to clover, or
grass for single year, good fair potatoes
are produced in quantities. l suppose that
land gets ''sicls' Of the plOw and hoe, the
same as ono does of the sameness of break
fast, dinner and supper; at all events, have
known land we'll manfred Gas times gO) fall
off in yield, while if some different plant be
grown one season, or a few weeks growth
Of some grain he turned under, a surpris-
ing change is produced. Different soils,
in different localities vary in the time
when failure or sickness begins.-W H.
White, Worcester County, Nass., Oct. Z.