The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-07-15
Restoring WORKOUT Land.
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Land that has been cultivated for a series
of years with special grain crops will sooner
or later lose its fertility, and in order TO re-
store IL quite an outlay Is required of both
time and money. 1t is not difficult matter
TO secure good yields on WORKOUT soils pro-
Vided special fertilizers be used, but when
the soil reaches such condition it does not
pay to attempt to recuperate it and compel
it to produce crop at the same time. The
greatest difficulty with farmers in such cases
is that while they are willing to invest in
fertilizers they hesitate at the loss of time
and the products that would be expected
from the land. And therefore while the
proper plan for recuperating the soil is to
omit cropping it for a season the method is
not generally adopted. The soil can be
rested from labor, as is done under the
fallOw system, but such plan is too slow.
Something should be added to it, in order to
assist the process of recupeTation. As an inn
pOverished soil is supposed to be too poor to
produce anything it is not an easy matter to
resort TO green manuring, but green manur-
ing (the turning under of some special crop
for that purpOse) is the only lasting and
permanent method of improvement.
AS beginning, lime, which is the cheapest
fertilizer, should be used as a dressing in the
fall, brOadcasting ii over the ground after
blowing it. Then rye should be thickly
sOwn and the ground narrowed. There will
be but little benefit derived from the lime
before spring, its action being slow, nor will
the rye make much progress, but when
the spring opens the lime will have liberated
sufficient nOurishment from the soil to
induce a moderate growth of the rye.
As the rye may be plowed under at
any time, it should be turned uuder
as soon as it shows signs of failure. A be-
ginnging will have been made for the Young
green rye will quickly decOmpose, while the
lime viii still continue to be beneficial The
rye may be followed by mixture of oats
and field peas, which will derive their nour-
ishment from the lime and decaying rye
and fair growth may be expected. As it is
not necessary TO mature the crop it should
also be turned under in time for crop of
buckwheat or millet, the former being
preferable, which will make sufficient prog
Tess to thickly cover the ground by fall, when
it should also be plowed under the land
again broadcasted and reseed to rye. 1t will
not require a large quantity of lime. Ten
bushels of air-slacked lime per acre, in a fine
condition, at each application, will be suf-
feient on majority of soils.
The rye will make sufficient growth to
be turned under when the season for
planting corn arrives. and, as a years
time will have been lost in grow
will be DESTROYS of securing something to
Tecompense him for his loss. If however,
instead of so doing, he will hurdle sheep
upon the land, thereby deriving the benefit
of their droppings and also turning under
the ground as fast as the hurdles are moved,
other crops may be seeded down for the use
of the sheep, and the land may be sown to
wheat in the fall and clover in the spring.
BY thus devOting the first year to the growth
OF manural crops, and pasturing sheep with
hurdles the second year, the land will be
permanently restored to fertility, and may
be rendered annually productive with good
management, while the sheep will not only
pay for the expense the SECOND year but give
profit as we'll. Considering the value i'm
parted to the land in being rendered more
fertile, and the increased yields which i:
will afford, the method is really economical
as the gain the third year will more than
repay the loss T time and labor incurred in
its restoration to fertility.