The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-10-27
TIMELY TALK FOR FARMERS.
Green Forage In spring-IIow 90 Counterfeit
Leacbins.
(From the Atlanta Constitution

'rcen Forage In SprinR-iIow 20 Counterac
Leacbins.
(From The Atlanta Constitution
The harder small grains, such as nv
and barley, may DO sown during this anc
the next month. They arc valuable a
soilng crops in early spring; barle,
richer and moro relishcd by stock, ry,
hardler and better adapted to poor land
Where there is moro rye than can be fer
IN It's green state, it is cut and cured q
hay, provided it is cut before tho head,
are out. 1T becomes woody and hare
soon after the heads form, and is then O
little value. Barley may be allowed t.
rIpen, and be harvested and fed lill,
oats. There is n general impression tina
the beard is in the way of doing this
but a gentleman recently informed us
that he has fed barley in the shetf to his
horses Tor twenty years without injury
that sometimes the boards collect be.
tween the lips and jaws, but arc easily
removed by the finger, and the animal
suffers no special Inconvenience. We
are also reliably informed that unthresi.,
ca barley IS quite commonly fed to
horses IN California. Where one has
pretty good land, therefore, barley might
be sown as a substitute for fall oats, in
Localities where the latter is very liable
to be winter killed.
But special object in calling atten-
tlon to these crops is to present their
claims us means for preserving tho fer.
tillty of soils. In the first place, a very
large portion Of our lands are LETT bare
through the winter, with nothing to pro-
tcct them from being washed away by
the heavy rains of that season. A grow
ing crop, especially one with numerous
roots, tends to hold the soil firmly. For
this reason alone, were there no other, it
would pay n farmer to SOW from u half
bushcl to three pccks of rye per acre in
ms cotton fields at the last ploughinc of
the crop. The rye, after having done
ITS work of holding tho soil, might be
grnzcd, or cut in the spring for soiling
purposes, or might be plowcd under to
enrich the soil.
But there IS another very important
work which II green, growing croD has to
perform, which is not generally or fully
appreciated. 1t is II great a~nti-lcacher;
it prevents the washing out of the avail
able nitrogen in the soil by rain water.
The ultimate form which nitrogen as
sumcs in tho soil is nitric acid Caoua
%fortis) and is found in combination with
potash, soda, lime, etc, forming salts
known as nitrates. Now all n~itrates are
soluble III water, and besides are not held
by rocks rs phosphoric acid and potash
are. Tho nitratcs arc very easily washed
or lcachcd out. This is not only capable
OF demonstration in IL laboratory, but
has been ~abundantly shown by collecting
the water from undcrdrains (~tilcsl and
Analysing them. 1t has been found that
where the water came from tiles under a
bare, naked piece Of land, the n~itratcs in
1T exceeded by n considerable quantity
that from tiles ovcrlaid by IL green, grow
ing crop. The growing crop appropri-
atcd II acid the nitratcs-thc bare soil
let it go.
But this is not all. The frequent
plowInS and stirring Of the soil cncour-
ages the formation of nitratcs-thc in
soluble, inert forms Of nitrogen in the
soil, are thereby changed into soluble
nltratcs. Hence in autumn the soils of
our cotton fields arc comparatively rich
IN mtratcS, and continue SO until the
winter rain teaches them out. a cotton
Held IS not only, therefore, most liable
to washing, but most exposed also to
greatest teaching. Above other fields
1t needs the protection of II growing crop
through the winter and early spring. 1t
IS not too late yet to give it this protec-
tlon. Sow rye now, and continue to
SOW, ii needs be, till the first of Decom-
Der. Sow southern raised or home
sced-that from the northwest Will not
give satisfactory results. Even if n field
Is intended for corn the next year, SOW
1T III rye now and turn it under next
spring. Farmers think it right to SOW
and plow IN peas for cnriching 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 cov-
cred with winter grasses are neither
washed nor leached-they increase in
fertility: Let us bring our summer cul-
tivatcd lands as nearly rs possible into
the same condition by clothing them in
winter with a carpet of green. W. H.. j..