Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1883-09-27
RYE FOR GREEN MANURE.

GOR FAN NJ ~ n L hFL
Vegetable matter of some sort is
quite indispensable in "A fertile soil. A
fertile soil always holds more moisture
than an infertile one, and a good sup
ply of moisture is very essential in the
soil for any crop. a crop of green rye
contains n considerable proportion of
water, and when plowed down all is
added to the soil; while the straw, as
it gees through decomposition, absorbs
and slowly imparts to the surrounding
soil the wafer of rains, thus furnishing
moisture for growing plants. On many
soils clover and some other crop used
for greon nanuring fail to grow from
some cause, but rye, being very har-
dy plant, seldom if ever fails TO pro-
duce some vegetation on the poorest
soil, and with the aid of little fertil-
izer (even bushel of plsster) TO the
crop, quite crop Of vegetable matter
may be grown
There is no one plant within my
knowlc dge which will furnish an equal
amount OF vegetable matter in the
same time that rye will Rye sown
during September, on VIII plowed
ground, at the rate of one and "A la.f
or Two lrslel& Icr acre, will supply a
good growth ready to plow down IN
the May following, which will dccCm-
po.c rapidly. furnishing both heat end
Lmoi-'urc TO the crop to which lli"
.round may be planted. and It's LeHrh-
cial effects will be observed innaedi-
atrly as the plants begin to- grow. Th"
iyc may be walked over with only Il
,pringy motion TO the TIE adj while the
.nric ,oil i'a;l piowcd, "ilhout rye, Is
800 spongy and wet 70 lear tie weight.
The network Of roots Of the rye draws
moisture from the soil which is thrown
oE hy the leaves and also furnishes
considerable drninac'.
think Il will pay TO sow rye after
corn or potatoes, where the same land
is q designed for oats or barley the fol
lowing Spring, or even for later crops.
know, from observation, that it pays.
For green manuring of soil designeo
for early Spring plowing, the earlier
tie rye is sown the better, because
there is a heavier mass to plow under
in Spring In April this will be light
at best, Iut the increased dryness o.
the soil permits earlier plowing, whicl
is quite important. The green matter
under the fuTow will have slight ef
feet in keeping the soil from becoming
too compact. 1t will make the sol
warmer and dryer in early Spring, anC
moisture in the hot and dry weathe
later in the season. For young orch
ards it is an excellent crop to fertiliz,
the soil and keep up the vegetable mat
ter, thus supplying the needs Of tn
young trees.
Glover cannot be substituted for ry,
in the young orchard, as it is injuriou
instead of beneficial 1t makes il
growth i'm Summer, its roots penetrat
ing deep, while the rye makes its growtl
in Fall and early Spring, and its root
keep close to the surface. The plow
ing down of the two crops at differen
Seasons also has n different effect ol
the trees, the rye being plowed dow
in the Spring when injuries to tn
roots of trees are most easily repaired
AID the clover i'm midsummer when in
iuries from plowing to the roots o tel
give them shock which does more in
u! tn n the decayng clover can q
good. For gravelly k1olls and distan
fields, where it is iinpracticable TO cal
ry farm manure, or grow other gree
manu"ing crops, rye will be found
most profitable crop, as, if desirable,
may be lightly pastured during II poi
ii N of the Fail without detriment t
the green crop to be plowed under j
Spring w. H. White, in Countr
Gentleman.