Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-08-04
oREEM MANuRlNa.
A southerner's Views In Regard 90 Turn
Ing Under Green Crops.


Ing Under Green Crops.
Notwithstanding tho vast amount Of
commercial fertilizers used in addition 60
the homo inanurcs many farms in the old.
err sections Of the country are failing.
Thenccessity Of different method IS im-
poratiyc-a method which will impart
more body 10 the soil. Stable and barn
yard mnnurcs give the required body 10
the soil. but fow farmers make enough
70 supply tho demands Of their own fields
Thomas D. Baird. writing IN Tho South.
EN- Cultivator, says
In my judgment " farmers would
practice turning undor green crops every
season. then udd tho other munurps, wo
would find our land would improve AMI
Foon improving until, instead Of twenty
five bushels Of corn on tho average per
acre. we wotLd grow 200. and instead Of
thirteen bushels Of wheat. the present
average pcr acre. we would average six.
ty-dvo What one acre has done Ger.
tainly two can be- made TODD.
We have said green manuring was tho
best way 20 improve aud give body 70
the soil still the IMMORAL elements "
those crops are derived entirely from Tho
soil. 70 that when we pillow under grCcn
crop tho land will be no richcr Ia potash
or phoaphuir ncid than before, but these
clements can be- ia a condition moro
available Tor plant food. Some plants
have % bCttor digestion Than others, while
deep rooted pllnts eau got some food by
retaining the fertility which has been
washed into tho suhsuil out uf reach Of
most plants.
Again. urmuic matttr s. added 10 the
coil when the crop pluwci undor quite
little ct which has been dori. from
the atmosphere Another hsnch vcdo-
rive from green umuunlg s. tho yctcia.
bic matter turned uulor. which gives 90
tho coil Co.. dark color. makes clay rolls
moro cnmbly and gives sandy soil moro
body. besides mlsiug the g1l warmer
aud lighter and admitting the mir. 10 Is
also a source OF cgrbouic grid gan, which
acts 20 make available the plant food al.
ready Ia She slil.
But perhaps tho most important cf
Rect Of rccn manuuug Is Che addition "
nitrogen. which valuable element Is most
liable 20 be- lost by Teaching or by cscap.
ing into the air. thus making it moro
costly II has been shown that certain
plants have tho power Of using the FREQ
nitrogen Of the air and converting 1t into
vegetable substance, aud 20 aforiing
available plant food for other plants Il
u thon evident that tho best plant for
green munuring Is one that has long
roots 90 pump mp tho lowest fertility
from the subs0i and has a bulky root,
and which will add large quantity Of
humus 10 tho soil Also one that gathers
nitrogen from the air.
Clover answers requirements por-
fectly. on does the pea. except that IL
has short roots. Buclswhoat and rye,
while they will grow on poorer land
than clover. and therefore would hciicr
20 before. DO not really have tho power
OF using the FREQ nitrogen Of tho air. nor
do they have long roots, and whore clo-
yer will grow they are not 10 desirable
heterogeneous Manurca for Cereal Crops.
In summing mp the results Of export.
ments covering many years and con.
Quoted by Lanes and Gilbert. Dr. Gil.
bort said; Easily assimilablo nitroge-
nous manurcs have generally n striking
effect Ia increasing the growth OF grain
crops, such us wheat. barley and oats.
although these grain crops contain COM
pautiyoly little nitrogen and take but
little OF Il from the land. Tho legumi.
nous crops. ON the other hand. such ns
peas, beans. clover and others. although
highly nitrogeuizc1, are by no means
characteristicslly benefited by tho use Of
direct heterogeneous innnurcs. such ns am.
monia salts and nitra,e5. though nitrntes
vet much moro tavorably than ammonia
Ralts Il appears indeed thnt we may
say use phosphaics for turnips and such
like roots. potash for l0guminous plants
and active nitrogen for grain.
1T mny. TO Say the least. appear 60
some somowhat surprising that ina
nurc rich Ia nitrogen should provo best
for a crop that contains comparatively
little nitrogen. uud tales little OF that
element from tho soil Doubtless mort
readers will remember Tint reroM crops
are quito unable to gather their nitrogen
from any source other than the soil. and
that therefore a supply OF available nj
trogen must be present for their use IN
the soil. whereas lcguminous crops aic
able 10 gather 10 the nitrogen thcy ~.
quiro from that unlimited source uf thnt
Ingredient --tNr r..eI'f,rnt4 and 10 ,,.t
require supplies OF II 10 DO artibcally
given 10 the soil.