The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-06-07
Two Crops a Year.

y
that is more profitable to keep land
covered most of the time with grow
ing vegetation, than it is to let it
lay idle half the time; in fact, it is
now very generally understood that
land which is not protected by
growing crops but lies uncovered
and exposed to the burning sun and
drying winds. is very rapidly losing
its fertility; first by the escape Of
gaseous substances, and second by
the blowing away of the fine parti-
cles of soil, containing mineral as
well as vegetable compounds, that
are valuable for plant food.
The moment the soil is covered
with growing vegetation, it not on
ly stops loss by escaped gases, by
the action of the sun, and the fine
soil by the wind but it so changes
the condition as to draw to it the
gases and mineral and vegetable
compounds that are being wasted
on other fields. For example, when
two farms adjoin each other, and
one is kept covered with growing
vegetation, while the other has on
1T growing crops but a few months
in the year, the one that is kept
covered will draw to it a considera
BILE portion of the fertility that the
other loses; so that if no coarse sub
stances are sold off the farm, one
of the farms would be growing rich
at the expense of the other. This
is one of the secrets of success in
farming. The difference between
the two systems is equal to a fair
profit.
Whatever land is cultivated
should be well MANFRED, well cult
waited, and kept well covered with
growing vegetation as much of the
time as possible. Some. have an
idea that it is best to occasionally
plough land up and let it rest.
but this is mistake; nature is full
of activity, and is ever striving to
increase her fertility when not inter
rupted by man; her first efforts to
this end is to cover the earth with
growing vegetation. The moment
this is done the work of increasing
the fertility of the farm is com
menced and never ceases until man
steps in and removes the growing
vegetation. But the advantage of
growing two crops in a year are not
confined to the improvement of the
land, for there are other advantages
even more important. When two
crops are to be grown in one season
the farmer can afford to manure the
land quite heavily, and thus secure
larger crop than he would be like
ly to get if manfred for only one
crop, and often the second crop will
be equal to an ordinary first crop.
When two crops are grown in one
season, as a rule, the land is kept so
well cultivated that there is but lit
tie chance for weeds to grow, so
that the farm becomes free from
these pests, so that the expense of
cultivating both crops is but trife
more than it usually costs to cult
vate one.
There is still another advantage
In growing two crops; the farmer
can make a better selection of land,
because not much if any more than
half as much is required to grow
the same amount of produce. The
farmer should always strive to get
two good crops of hay from each
piece of land every year; this is ca
silly done if the soil is heavy and
moist, which is the land that ought
always be- selected for grass. The
crop of Indian corn requires so
much Of the warm season to grow,
it is difficult to get more than one
crop with it, except it be one that
will grow in the autumn and early
spring months. Winter rye will do
this, and get large enough to cut
for fodder in time to clear the land |
for another crop of corn. After a
crop of potatoes the land may be
seeded down to grass in time to get |
covered before winter sets in. Win |
ter rye may be followed with Hun
garian; ensilage corn may be fol-
lowed by winter rye; in this way
two fields crops can easily be OBJ
tanned each year. In garden crops
there is chance to get two and |
sometimes three crops from piece
of land in a year; this is now prac-
ticed by nearly all good gardeners;
the difference in the profits being
so great that few feel that they can
afford to grow but one crop.
Whatever crops are grown in the
summer, the farmer or gardener
ought to make an effort to have the |
land covered in the winter with |
some crop, even if it is to be |
ploughed under in the spring, be- |
cause, as before stated the growing
crop is collecting fertility from 9th
er fields that are not projected by |
So important is it that |
the land should be protected with |
some covering, that it is found |
when covered with manure that the |
loss from the manure is not as great |
as would be the loss of the land by |
exposure. Oar cold winters and |
sudden variations in temperature
during the late autumn and early |
winter months so affect the exposed |
soil that it loses more plant food |
than the farmer can afford to part
with; therefore it should be his
constant aim to keep his land COW
cred during the cold season with |
such plants as are hardy enough to
the changeable weather,
and at the same time protect the
soil; it should also be his con-
slant aim, during the warm season.
to keep his land constantly covered |
with growing crops, so as to be not I
only all the time draWing fertility |
from the air, but also by shading /.
The soil prevent waste Massachu-
settle Ploughman.
A Perpetasl Weather Table.
The following table was con=
q, i