The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1890-01-11
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.


: Tho Cow Pea and Sheep.
Writing from Arkansas a correspond
emit asks: ''How would IL do to m
sheep and grow cow peas on rundown
land? Would the peas be valuable foo
, Tor the sheep and would they help en-
rich the land?" OF course it is well uu
aerstood, we would say in reply, tina
sheep are good to restore worn out land
Inc pea would be good food for sheen
and according to q report of the Georgi;
experiment Station, it is an excelen
crop to grow upon such land for fertiliz
ing purposes In the cotton State.
there Is great deal of rundown Land
and the report referred to saws
that the substances lacking in
sucn soils, are available nitro.
gen, phosphoric acid, and To
some extent, potash. Abundant ex-
perience has shown that when they are
applied judiciously to such land, thev
yield good crops. To supply these from
outside sources, that is in the shane of
chemical fertilizers and manures. is too
expensive and beyond the reach of most
farmers; they have tried the feeding of
their crops from these sources to a mod
crate extent, but they are unable to en-
rich their lands from them. The pIan
OF ieedlng crops on WORKOUT land is un-
certain in its results, and in the main
mas proved disastrous. 1t pays to linn
TIED extent on good, but not on Door
land. Therefore, how to make old, worn
land good; that is how to restore its
original physical condition (friability).
and how to accumulate in it 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.
Ii the soil of these worn lands. to a
depth of two or three feet, is analyzed
1t is found that, almost without excep-
tion' large quantities of phosphoric acid |
and potash, and fair, though not so |
large, quantities Of nitrogen, are pres
emit IN them; but to a greater or less ex-
tent these are In unavailable forms. Is
IL practicable to get these substances
rom the deeper soil, bring them into
available condition and concentrate
Them near the surface, where the roots
of ordinary-cultivated crops can reach
them? When lands are left uncultiyated
and trees are allowed to grow upon
hem, their deep roots slowly gather up
'hese materials, and transmit them in
arge part to the leaves, and these drop-
'ing to the ground give such materials to
ne surface soil in available forms. and
nus slow concentration of the scarcer
orms OF plant food in the surface soil. !.
'oes on Are there any plants that will
% the same thing as the old field nine y
nd other common trees do in this re- :
pect but doitmore rapidly? Experience
as shown that certain leguminous 9
lants like clover and the cow pea. viii
o 1t both rapidly and effectively. They :
re adapted to this work, not only from
eng deep rooted. but because thew
ave special and Characteristic power .
! gathering and accommodating nitro D
On. This is shown by the fact that "
III will contain more nitrogen after a II
'op OF clover has been taken from it. Y
IAN before the clover grew upon it, q
tough the clover crop taken from the a
nd carried away with it an un- q
'ually large amount of nitrogen. sc
be pea has not been studied as OF
UGH as clover, but all the facts known "a
INT In the same direction, and indicate 81
atits action is similar to that of clover.
the Storrs School Experiment Station m
Connecticut, during the past year. OBJ We
rvations were made upon the stubble Va
q roots OF COW peas to depth of forty ID
o inches. The crop of green forage, To
Ken from same acre from which the Ia
Dts were gathered, was 1910 pounds. tn
10 following table gives total amount an
stubble and roots; also amount of roots be
successive depths. The soil to a {
pth OF seven inches was a light loan I'M
ubsoil yellow and compact, becoming alb
depth of thirty inches loose and an
lvelly in texture: int
Per acre. e'
bible and first six inches of roots. sI1 4 Ms no
bible and second six inches OF "a,
)ots, to II inches deep. As N "'
bbie and third six inches of roots
bible and fourth six inches Of 80 rs
.ots, IL to "a inches deep. s43 ma
bible and nth six inches OF roots :
20 10 inches deep. GO ma | =.
bible and sixth six inches OF roots. the
20 30 inches deep. 900 Rs ly,
bile and seventh six inches OF ~
ots, IS to q inches deep. Ao1 ma 'aF
DDie ana roots to depth of n one
cues-..---....- 20.8 bs
will be noticed that while the stub va+
and roots from first six inches of a.;
tn largely preponderate, nearly one sou
rth as much more roots are found be- tha
that depth-and il allowance be
le for the stubble proper found to
nearly half the weight of stubble sno
root in first six inches), as distinct ann
the roots--the ratio of roots from pro-
lower depths would be very much 'ooi
or. In the same report the amount q