The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-30
Restoring Worn Out Land.

GhllaGeIphla RECORD.
Land that has been cultivated for series of
years with special grain crops will sooner or later
lose its fertility and in order restore it quite
an outlay is required of both time and money.
1t is not difficult matter to secure good yields
on worn out soils. provided special fertilizers be
used, but when the soil reaches such condition
it does not pay to attempt to recuperate it and
compel 1t to produce a crop at the same time.
The greatest difficulty with farmers i'll such
cases is that while they are willing to invest in
fertilizers they hesitate at the loss OF time and
the products that would necessarily be expected
from the land And therefore, while the proper
plan for recuperatng the soil is to omit cropping
1t Tor 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 two slow.
Something should be added to it, III ordeg to
assist in the process of recuperation. 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 manuring
(the turning under of some special crop for that
purpose) is the only lasting and permanent
method of Improvement
AS a beginning, lime which is the cheapest
fertilizer, should be used dressing in the
fall, bFoadcastng it the ground after
blowing it. Then rye should be thckly 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 under as
soon as it shows signs Of failure beginning
will have been made, for the young green rye
will quickly decompose while the lime will still
continue to be beneficial. The rye may be followed
by mixture of oats and field peas. which will
derive thei" nourishment from the lime and de-
caylng rye, and a fair growth may be expected
AS it is not necessary to mature the crop it
should also be turned under in time for a crop of
buckwheat or mllet, the former being prefer
able, which will make sufficient progress to
thickly cover the ground by fall, when it should
also be plowed under, the land again broadcasted
and reseeded to rye. twill not require large
quantity of lime. Ten bushels of ar-slacked
lime per acre. III fine condition at each appli-
cation, will be sufficient a ma GRITTY of soils
'Ihe rye will make sufficient growth to be
turned under when the season for planting corn
arrives, and, as years time will have been lost
IN growing the manurial crops the farmer will
be DESTROYS Of securing something to racompense
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 moved, other crops NAV be seeded
down for the use of the sheep, and the land may
sbe sewn to wheat in the fall and clover in the
spring BY thus devoting the first year to the
growing of manurial 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 man
agement, while the sheep will not only pay for
the expense the second year but give profit as
well. Considering the value impaired to the
land IN being rendered more fertile, and the
increased yields which it will afford the method
is really economical, the gain the third year
VIII more than repay the loss of time and labor
incurred In its restoration to fertility.