The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-03-22
HOW SHALL THE FARMERS OF
MOORE COUNTY IMPROVE
THEIR LANDS7

AE4G4N
Editor Blade The most practical
mode would doubtless be to Stimulate
a growth Of clover, COW pears, rye, or
something of the kind, by the use of
commercial, or other fertilizers, and
then at the proper time (early maturity
Of the plants, or about the time they
commence maturing) turn them under
with a double pillow. During the period
OF decomposition the oxygen of the air
Will combine with the carbon in the
decayIng plants and form carbonic acid
gas. gas is converted into car
OOnlc acid, remains in the soil and be-
cOmbes a valuable element of fertility.
By the above method, the quantity
of fertilizer employed is virtually in
creased. Thus, we will say that you
SOW 200 pounds Of guano per acre and
follow with two y more green crops to
be turned under, n of which may be
rye, according to the season grown.
This will have the effect of virtually
increasing the quantity Of guanO to
probably 600 OF 800 pounds per acre.
But where does this increase in fertility
come from? Can more be returned to
the sol than has been taken from 1t?
There surely can be much more, and l
will have a word further on this i'm
pOrtant point before l get through.
By this time your land will be sufh-
GENTLY improved to admit of taking
off a crop, which will usually be at
least three times as large as a crop
grown on similar unimprOved lands
much more than to defray the expense
condition for q number Of years to
come.
Some years ago I saw a statement
that by turning under three crops of
of pea vines the yield of wheat ON a
certain piece of ground was increased
from seven to tNenty-One bushels per
acre. No fertilizer, except the pea
vines, were used.
Clover is considered the best crops
to turn under, pea vines next and rye
probably third. Oregon peas thrive
well on poor land and would doubtless
answer an excellent purpose for turn
ing under. They have been spoken of
very highly.
Owing to the fact, that the quantity
Of commercial fertilizer can be vir-
tually increased by applying them to
green crops to be turned under it would
doubtless pay to employ them extern
sively for said purpose exclusively.
The very air we breathe, if utilized,
coL tains an element OF fertility, and
farmers cannot properly and economic
ally improve their lands without en-
ploying shis ail-impOrtant agent.
Farmers should improve their lands
and cease to rear old field pines. There
is land in England that has been in
cultivation owe 1 600 years and Is bet
ter now than when cleared.
Tho GO = oO111sao O011c+ nuoot11a ny ho
pursued here. A beginning is all that
is wanted. VIII you begin nowi For
a test, take an acre that has been
seeded to oats. Apply your guano
broad cast, At the proper time turn
under, and follow with peas, harrow
ing them in. Turn the peas under and
follow with a crop of wheat, and, my
word for it, you will the following
season make efforts to double the dose.
ALARGE YIELD OF CORN.
Some years ago N. w. Wood1n, of
BuncOmbe county, tried his hand at
improving an acre of old field, and to
see how much o could be grown
thereon. He turned the soil and fol
lowed with a subsoil plow, crossed and
re-crossed until it was thoroughly
broken TO the depth of sixteen inches.
He thon hauled five hundred two horse
lOadsO of muck from an adjacent swamp,
but as there was a small hill to pull up,
the loads were not large. Then fifty
loads of barn yard manure and 200
pounds gUano. All were then lightly
turned under.
He then laid off into drills three feet
apart and dropped his corn, one grain
in a place, eve inches apart, and cul-
tivated in the usual way, all chat came
up. In the fell he gathered 149 bushels
and two quarts.
Where a grain failed to come up, the
adjacent stalks appeared to be no
larger.
Corn cultiv tied in the usual way
fired considerably from drouth, but
here the blades kept green to the
ground throughout the season.
Ground broken to a great depth will
sustain a sufficiently increased number
of plants to pay well for the extra ex
pense of blowing. Experiments with
steam blowing in England have shown
that the land can be advantageously
broken to the depth Of from three to
four feet. Consequently you need not
be afraid of blowing too deep.
In cultivation, it Is important that
the atmosphere should have free access
to the roots. Consequently, stir soon
after every rain-to prevent a crust
forming. BRYAN Tyson.
Prosperity, n. G.
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