Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-09-19
TURNING UNDER GREEN AND RIP
CLOVER.

TURNING UNDER GREEN AND RIPE
CLOVER.
II. 3. (p. 02S) 10 disposed 10 criticise
what have written in regard to turning
under green crops. This IL all right,
for nothing tends 90 muchtowari bring
Ing out the truth ss proper, dignified,
discussion. Your correspondent asks
"lf there 10 not q greater value, for the
plant food In u, Of the green heritage In
Its full maturity-whlch 10, when It 10 10
full blossom, than when II has become
dead, and q large part Of II has been
changed Into insOluble and iunutritious
mattery'' lie gives figures OF the ash
constituents OF green aud dry herbsge,
which accept as correct, having no
reason to dispute them.
Iwould say, In the first place, that
one great objection to the turning under
Of green crops In full bloom Ii the fact
that lime Il then necessary to prevent In
furious fermentation, and over q large
part of North Carolina lime 10, ut present
freight rates, out OF the reach OF farmers.
Another reason for not turning under =
heavy growth for wheat is, that II is
practically impossible to make the COM
pact seed-bed needed for the best results
with wheat. But Mr.. II. SIS figure, are
deceptive. II the clover tops had that
large percentage Of potash in the green
state, and 90 little In the ripe, d0es that
show that the soil has lost the potashf
BY no manner of means. Potash we
know Il nm essential agent in the plants
capacity to make starch In the green
leaves, aud when the starch-making pro-
cess IL active, the potash will be found
Just where the plant needs Its presence.
But potash not only takes part In the
formation OF starch, but is the active
agent Of Its transfer. Now, As We know
that most plants store their food in the
form Of starch, and store II for another
season largely In the roots Of herbaceous
perennials, It is perfectly natural that
potash, the agent Of the transfer from
leaves to roots, should be found to
abandon the tops after its work Is done
there, and 70 with the starch to the
root reservoir. But for all purposes OF
future plant food, II isthere all the same,
and we know that a clayey soil will hold
on to II until some plant call, for IL.
There Is no loss to the soil by the decay
of the top, except It may be OF some
nitrogen. The soil has the potash and
phosphoric acid, and will hold them. IL
Mr.. II. s. will compare the results In
wheat crop Of removing part OF the
field, as to the tops, and burying the
whole In the remainder, think the re
suit will convince him that It does not
pay to plow under the whole.
While I would not fear to turn under
a green crop Of corn or peas u ! had
plenty Of lime at hand, would still
prefer to let them die upon the land, aud
turn under In spring and lime with my
corn, which Is the point In q grain rota-
tion where have usually had the best
results with lime, except on one occa-
sion when I used II as top-dressing on
young clover In spring, with such re.
markable results, both In the clover and
la the Improvement Of the soil, that ]
am inclined to think that on any of our
red, permanent clays this is the best
mode Of applying lime. But don't
worry about the potash that was In the
green clover and not In the ripe. It's
''thar' or thar abouts," you may de-
pend upon it.-w. +. MASSEY In Coun-
[rY Gentleman.