The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-10-28
TIMELY TALK FOR FARMERS.
"reen Forage in Spring-IIow TO Countcract
LcaChing.
(From The Atlanta Constitution ,

"reeh Forage in Spring-IIow TO CountcracI
Lcaching.
(From The Atlanta ConstitutionD
The harder small grains, such as rye
and barley, may be sown during this a1d
the next month. They are valuable nc
solling crops in early spring: barley
rlchcr and more rclished by stock. rvc
harder and better adapted to Door land.
| Where there is more rye than can he fed
III Its green state, it is cut and cured MS
nay, provided it is cut before the heads
arc out. 1t becomes woody and hard
soon after the heads form, and is then of
little value. Barley may be allowed to
rlpen, and be harvested and fed like
oats: There is general impression that
the beard IS III the way of doinp this
but gentleman recently informed us
That he has fed barley in the sheaf to his
horses for twenty years without iniury.
that sometimes the boards collect be,
tween the lips and jaws, but are easily
removed by the finger. and the animal
suffers no special Inconvenience. We
are also reliably informed that unshresi.-
ed barley is quite commonly fed to
horses III California. Where one has
pretty good land, therefore, barley might
be sown as substitute for fall Sats in
localities where the latter is very liable
to be winter killed.
But our special object in callinm atten-
tion TO these crops is to present their
CLAIMS as means for preserving tie fer
tlllty OF soils. In the first place, u very
large portion of our lands are lett baro
through the winter, with nothing to pro-
tect them from being washed away by
the heavy rains of that season. 4 grow
ing crop, especially one with numerous
roots, tends to hold the soil firmly. For
this reason alone, were there no other, il
would pay n farmer to SOW from q half
buShcl to three pecks Of rye per acre in
his cotton fields at the last ploughinp of
the crop. The rye, after having done
Its work OF holding the soil, might be
grazcd, or cut in the spring for soiling
purposes, Or might be plowcd undcr to
enrich the soil.
But there is another very im,ortant
work which green, growing cro,, has TO
perform, which is not generally or fullv
appreciated. 1t is great anti-lcachcr:
1t prevents the washing out of the avail
able nitrogen i'll the soil by rain watcr.
IAc ultimate form which nitrogen as
Sumes III the soil is nitric acid (auua
fortis) and is found in combination with
potash, soda, lime, etc., forming salts
known as nitratcs. Now all mira jes are
soluble i'll water, and besides are n0t held
by rocks as phosphoric acid and potash
are. The nitratcS are very easily washed
Or leachcd out. This is not onlv capablo
OF demonstration III n laboratory, but
has been abllndant}y shown by col iccting
the water from undcrdrains (tiles) and
analyzing them. II has been found that
where the water came from tiles under a
bare, naked piece Of land, the nitratcs in
1t exceeded by considerable quantity
that from tiles overlaid by q green, grow
ing crop. The growing crop appropri-
&tcd and held the uitrates-thc bare soil
let it go.
But this is not all. The freuucnt
piowing and stirring of the sell cncour-
ages the formation of nitrates-tnc in
soluble, inert forms OF nitrogen in the
SOL, are thereby changed into soluble
nitratcs. Hence in autumn the soils of
our cotton fields are comparatively rich
IN nltratcs, and continue so until the
winter rain teaches them out. A cotton
field Is not only, therefore, most liable
to washing, but most exposed also to
greatest teaching. Above other fields
1t needs the protection Of growing crop
through the winter and early spring. 1t
is not too late yet to give it this protcc-
ton. Sow rye now, and continue to
SOW, If needs be, till the first of Deccm-
Der. Sow southern raised or home
sced-that from the northwest will not
give satisfactory results. Even if q field
IS intended for corn the next year, SOW
1T III rye now and turn it under next
spring. Farmers think it right 10 SOW
and plow in peas for enriching land in
summer; let them try the same thing
with rye i'll winter. 1t will cost no more
and probably do more good. Peas in
crease the supply of available nitrogen
III the soil; rye will hold that already
present and prevent it's loss. Fields coy
cred with winter grasses are neither
washed nor lcached-thcy increase in
fertility. Let us bring our summer cul-
tlVated lands as nearly as possible into
the same condition by clothing them in
winter with carpet Of green. WI