The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-04-06
Green Manuring.

T, B. Terry, in advocating green
manuring which he practices, relates
the following practical demonstration
Of the value of the system in the Coua-
try Gentleman:
Your correspondent has had the
pleasure Of meeting several farmers,
IN the course of the winter, who were
farming without manure-that is. with
out stable manure or commercial fer
tilizers. The last one was Mr.. T. G.
Putnam, president Of the Stark County
Farmers Institutes. His experience
will probably interest you. Some ten
| years ago he bought eighteen acres of
land, situated some distance away from
his buildings. 1t was too far to remove
crops to the barn and manure back,
therefore he decided to try a new way
W tn his field. 1t was naturally good
land, but had been run until it was not
producing paying crops. His first step
was to get it into clover. AS he did
not want to make hay Of the Glove, he
sowed the mammoth variety, with
wheat. The year after the wheat was
remove "a small crop) the clover was
pastured lightly with sheep until about
June lst. Then it was left to grow a
crop OF seed. This was cut rather high
SO as to get only the bulk of the heads,
and as little Of the straw or haum as
possible. AS soon as the seed was cut,
the field was plowed and sown to wheat,
after being most thoroughly prepared.
After harvest the next season. tha
land was turned over again and we'll
prepared and put into wheat the sec
nd time. Considerable clover seed
had been left, necessarily, in the straw
he fall before and turned under. TIL s
vas now brought TO the surface, or
nearly SO, aud without sowing any
more seed, fine stand Of cl yer was in
sight 10 the spring Both crops of
wheat were threshed and the clover
mad been hulled right in the field. AS
5000 as the young clover was say an
n:h high the next spring. but before
it was tall enough to be bent over, the
straw from the two crops Of wheat and
one of clover seed was evenly spread
over the whole field. He said it looked
as though it would smother the young
clover, as it entirely covered the soil
from sight. My friends neighbors
we're indignant over such farming, but
be thought ths straw was SO loose and
open that the young clover would come
right up through, and it did, and made
A wonderful growth, such rs that LIT
had not seen for many day. He
found no trouble IN cutting the seed
with this mass of straw at the bottom,
as the clover grew up and fell down,
aud then turned up again. say foot
high, and matured the seed. When
cutting he set the machine high enough
to slip over the straw and what clover
was down, and simply got what he
could of the heads that stood up. Then
the whole mass was turned under for
wheat again, to be followed by wheat
aud then clover. ID
This has now been goino on ten
gears. The land is increasing in pro-
duciiveness. No manure or fertilizer
Of any kind has been put on, except the
straw above mentioned. No clover
seed has been sown since the first year.
Managed in this way it seeds itself per
fectly. The last two crops, were very
satisfactory, viz: ss bushels clover
seed iu 1886, and 81 bushels wheat per
.cre in 1857. with q good show for
wheat this year. Pres. Putnam is q
quiet man aud would not think Of say
lag this in public but your correspon
dent had the good fortune to get him
started at the dinner table. He re-
marked that he was farming one field
with clover, aud could tell of as good
returns as any Of them, A few ques-.
t,ons then brought out the whole story.
His experience is certainly very val
aable, and from it many farmers could
get hint Of way out OF debt, and
INTO more comforts aud luxuries How
long this can continue know not, nor
does any one know the limit. | have
been all over Ohio, and talked with
tn, usands OF farmers, but have not yet
touud any clover sick land We have
msn here who have farmed outlots
with clover in some such way for lite
time, and they have told me With their
own mouths, this winter, that the fields
thus farmed were yielding as well or
better than those near the barn, farmed
,u the ordinary way
nRaal HI;4l Cut Han atn