The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-04-28
IMPROVE THE OLD FARMS.
Essay on the Subject by Major Howard
SYineford.
REPORT TO TUCKAHOE FARMERS CLUB
Papers Read Before tho Meeting Mt "Bfoom-
ingdaie"-Best and Cheapest Method
OF Improving worn-Out Land.

Farmers Club at Bloomingdsle last Thursday
OIL the subject
The best and cheapest method of improv-
ing worn-out landsI"
To the practical farmer there is no more In
teresting or important subject than the best
method of restoring worn-out lands. The
fact that they are worn out implies that they
we're once fertile and producing crops. Such
lands are worthy the attention of the farmer,
and are more easily brought back TO their
former value and fertility than TO cultivate
lands naturally poor and which require build
ing up and constant feeding.
While those lands may seem too poor TO
grow even a crop of stunted weeds, yet there
are elements in the soil which are ready to do
good service when permitted to do 50. FOR
instance. AS long IA the seed lies dormant IN
the land you cannot kill IT, but make the soil
mellow by turning it up for the action of the
life-giving sun. air and showers then notice,
Il you will, the termination Of millions of
weed seeds.
This vital help Of natures ever ready
laboratory is what every farmer has when
building up the waste places. The hrst
growth of volunteer vegetation may not be
strong, but the turning of this small
crop Of weeds will furnish more
strength to each successive crop. IL this
be repeated number of times, the land will
furnish food for other crops. This Is, how
ever slow process bat within the reach of
all for the thorough breaking up OF the SOIL
Is all that is needed-nature does the rest.
AN EXPENSIVE PROCESS.
The application of manures and fertilizers
of various kinds in large quantities IS more
speedy process, but also an expensive one,
and while it may be the best for the agrees
sive farmer, it is not the cheapest and this IS
one of the points asked after III our subject,
and one of immense importance 70 the ave
rage farmer.
The practice of growing crops for the pur-
pose of blowing them under to fertilize the
soil is one that, In my opinion, has very
much greater advantage than any other, and
there is no better way of cheaply improving
1t than this. To procure sufficient supply
of manure is at the best very costly process,
but q crop that may be easily grown IN n few
months and then turned under may furnish
to the soil rs much fertilizing matter as eight
or ten tons of manure per acre, and this pro-
cess may be repeated several times IN one
year
Manuring with green crops is not only the
most economical. but 10 most lands one OF the
surest and most speedy means OF improving
the texture and fertilizing properties of the
soil. Besides furnishing plant food the soil IS
made more mellow and better fitted for pro
ducing other crops. Various crops are used
for this purpose; some. of course, are more
ted to place two at the head of the list as
most valuable, we would name red clover and
the COW pea. the former for general use and
the latter as best suited to this locality.
Among the numerous other crops used for
this purpose are buckwheat, rye, oats, corn
and millet.
The Hon. George Geddes, well known
throughout the United States as a practical
and scientific farmer, says Of the clover: IF
our soils require improving, we turn the clover
crop under and repeat the operation until
there is sufficient fertility TO allow us to carry
the clover of. The oftener we can I'll the
soil with roots and then pillow them under and
thus allow them TO rot, the sooner do we eX-
pect to get our land in condition TO bear q
crop of grain. A very considerable part of the
cultivated land In Central and Western New
York has never had any other msnuring than
this clover and gypsum, and its fertility. IS
not diminishing" He states that he had q
field which for seventy -four years had been
manfred with nothing except clover grown
upon it and plowed in and that this field had
produced wheat, corn, oats, barley and grass.
The clover thus used had for fifty years been
regularly treated with gypsum, and that the
land was constantly increasing in fertility.
DIR. PoLLARD's PLAN.
Our own DR.. Pollard, late Commissioner
pf Agriculture. gives the following directions
for improving partially exhausted lands in
the Southern States by the use of vegetable
manures:
1T may be said that considerable portion
of our lands are too poor to produce clover or
even a crop of peas. Then let 200 pounds of
ground South Carolina phosphate and 800
pounds of kainite Or. Ravsners ash elemenD
be applied TO the land and peas seeded; when
grown turn these peas under and sow clover
with wheat OF oats, If thought best, and we
shall be apt TO get stand OF clover, particu-
lsrly if the land be lined after the peas are
turned under. But II the farmer cannot get
the ash element let him SOW peas or rye
early IN the fall. or oats early in the spring
turn them under in June, then SOW peas and
then clover"
This brings me TO my own experience Of
the past four years in bringing 10 a
which bushes and broom-straw reignod
supreme. The plan most successful
has been TO sow rye during the month of
October, applying $50 pounds Of fertilizer
per acre. The following spring, when the rye
IL in blossom, pillow IL down and SOW peas on
this fallOw, applying 800 pounds per acre of
fertilizer that will produce a quick and rank
growth of vines; this is the point at which the
money expended for fertilizers yields the
largest returns the broad. rough leaves of
the pea extract from the atmosphere vast
quantities OF nitrogen which is soon TO furnish
the plants Of the coming crop with food.
CHS Is the only way | have been able 10
secure a portion of the millions of tons Of fer
his lecture on the Chemistry of the Farm"
answered us in the air about u.s. BY the aid of
chains attached To the plows these vines were
safely buried under the surface. and after an
application of fifty bushels of lime per acre 10
decompOse the green crops now IN the soil,
the surface Is well narrowed and sOwn 10 win
ter oats and grass Suffice il TO say that
have not failed with this treatment to have a
good crop of both grain and grass which have
paid me for all previous expenditures while
improving the land besides having well set
crop of clover, ready a fertilzing crop for
any other.
In my opinion this is the cheapest and best
method OF improving our worn-out lands.
THE cow-PEA.
Before closing this article desire 10 give
more than "a passing notice to what | con
sider the most important factor in the resto-
ration Of WORKOUT lands. refer TO the cow
or field-pea. IL thriyes upon land too poor TO
grow clover IL produces O heavy and rich
crop IN shorter period than any vegetable
teruilzer Two crops can DO produced on the
same ground In one year IL leaves the soil in
the very best condition for q succeeding grain
crop IL v so r"pld in its growth and perfec-
ton as 10 make an intervening manurial cron
between grain cut in the spring and Grain
sown III the fall. 1t feeds lightly upon the
sou, but extracts from the atmosphere the
particular elements necessary TO a grain crop.
ana puts back largely into the soil these very
elements. Wy
Is there anything in field culture that will
.!ikey can out more quickly our admiration