Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1889-12-05
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.



derstood, we would say in reply. that
sheep are good to restore worn out land.
The pea would be good food for sheep,
n according TO a report of the Georgia
Experiment Station, it is an excellent
crop TO grow upon such land for fertiliz-
ing purposes. In the cotton States
there is a great deal Of rundown IanI:
and the report referred to says
that the substances lacking in
such soils, are available nitro
gen, phosphoric acid. and 70
some extent. potash. Abundant ex-
perience has shown that when they are
applied judiciously 70 such land. they
yield good crops. To supply these from
outside sources. that is in the shape Of
chemical fertilizers and manures, is too
expensive and beyond the reach Of most
farmers; they AVE tried the feeding OF
their crops from these sources 20 a mod
crate extent but they are unable to en-
rich their lands from them. The plan
OF feeding crops on WORKOUT land is un-
certain in its results, and in the main
has proved disastrous. II paws TO a lin
tied extent on good. but not on poor
land Therefore. how L make old. worn
land good; that is how to restore its
original physical condition (friability),
and o to accumulate in il a full sup
ply of available plant food. at least ex-
pense and in shortest time. is a prob
lem Of the first magnitude and impor-
lance.
III the soil OF these worn lands. to a
depth OF two or three feet. is ~anaIyzed
1t Is found that, almost without excep-
ton large quantities of phOsphoric acid
and potash. and fair. though not so
large. quantities Of nitrogen. are pres
ent in them; but 10 4 greater or less ex-
tent these are in unavailable forms. Is
1t practicable to get these substances
from the deeper soil. bring them into
available condition and concentrate
them near the surface. where the roots
Of ordinarycultivated crops can reach
them? When lands are left uncultivated
and trees are allowed Il grow upon
them. their deep roots slowly gather up
these materials, and transmit them in
large part to the leaves, and these drop
ping to the ground give such materials TO
the surface soil in available forms. and
h u a slow concentration of the scarcer
forms of plant food in the surface soil.
goes on Are there any plants that will
do the same thing as the old field pine
and other common trees do in this re-
spect but doitmore rapidly? Experience
has shown that certain leguminous
plants like clover and the cow pea. will
do it both rapidly and effectively. They
ara a1anNnN - *kE- ~ -
being deep rooted. but because they
have a special and characteristic power
of gathering and accommodating nitro
gen. This IS shown by the fact that a
soil will contain more nitrogen after a
crop of clover has been taken from il,
than before the clover grew upon it.
though the clover crop taken from the
lam carried away with it an I'M
usually large AMOUNT Of nitrogen
The pea has not been studied as
much as clover. but all the facts known
point in the same direction. and indicate
thatits action is similar 10 that Of clover.
At h Storrs School Experiment. Station
in Connecticut. during the past year. OBJ
ssrvations were made upon the stubble
and roots Of COW peas to a depth OF FORTY
two inches The crop Of green forage.
taken from same acre from which the
roots were gathered. was 15.s4O pounds.
h following table gives total amount
of tubbl and roots: also amount of roots
for successive depths. The soil To a
depth of seven inches was a light loan
-suhsol yellow and compact, becoming
at . depth of thirty inches loose and
gravelly in texture:
Per acre.
stuhble and first six inches Of roots. sia5 a.
>tnbble and second six inches Of
roots. s IN L inches deer. - .ig A.
>tubble and third SIX inches of roots,
Ito Is inches deep $40 a
stubble and fourth six inches Of
roots ! tn - inches deep----. s4a A.
>tnbbie and NTH six inches of roots,
q % % inches eep-.-- 99 ss
stubble and sixth six inches of rootS.
0to &tnchest SEQ A.
stubble and seventh six inches q
roots. 3 Ia q inches dcep-..-- col n
stnboie and roots to depth OF "
lhcne------. A.
Il will be noticed that while the stub
bic and roots from first six inches of
depth largely pre~ponderate, nearly one
fourth as much more roots are found be-
low that depth-aad il allowance be
made for the stubble proper found to
be nearly half the weight Of stubbIe
and root in first six inchesl. as distinct
rom the rOOts-the ratio of roots from
the lower depths would be very much
larger. In the same report the mount
OF nitrogen, phOsphoric acid and potash
in the stubble and roots OF the pea on
an acre, to a depth of three and a half
feet. were stated TO be respectively las
pounds. IS pounds and Ga pounds. This
does not include still larger of
these substances contained in stem and
leaves.
General experience c~orroborstes the
above testimony as 70 the value of the
cow pea as a r~enOvating or enriehing
crop Not only this its peculiar for
aging powers enables il 20 grow on land
50 poor that most other crops would per-
ish on them- Superadded TO these valu-
able traits Is its entire ~adaptability to
Southern climate. Its nitrogen gather
ing power. its deep-rooting and there
fore extended foraging power. It's ability
90 grow on poor exhausted soils. and its
ADAPTATION TO hot. dry climates. indicate
il as the basal crop with which to begin
the restoration of fertility TO exhausted
landS-Western Rural.
Must Have Good Butter.
The public is becoming more and
more exaeting as 10 the quality of but
ter The customers palate has been
educated 20 demand something better
than that which formerly satisfied l..
E~nterprising people are living better