The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-05-01
TO ENRICH THE SOIL.
How to Increase the Value of Fertilizer.
After Application, Tenfold---Green
Crops Should Mature Before
Turning Under--Impor-
tance of Deep
Tillape,

enriched, nor can the present fertility
be maintained, by manure made on the
farm. A far cheaper and more effec-
tive plan is to bride the atmosphere
we breathe. To do this, green crops,
such as rye, peas and clover, should be
grown and at the proper time turned
under.
People frequently say they have not
the time and means to do this, but try
it on small scale-one acre If no more
as follows: Plow we'll and apply
guano at the rate of about 400 pounds
per acre, or its equivalent in other ma
nure. Then lay off into rows about
feet and run several times in the same
furroW with a coulter or other narrow
plow. No danger of stirring the land
too deep, for experiments with steam
plowing in England have shown that
the ground can be advantageously
ploWed to the depth of from three to
four feet; but 12 to 16 inches deep will
serve our purpose. loose bed will
thus be formed. Then SOW in the drill
the ordinary cow pea. preferably of the
kind that will produce the largeGt
vines. Cultivate thoroughly and thin
the vines properly, say one stalk to
three or four inches. Give the atten-
ton to this crop that you do to cot
ton crop and it will pay far better
When the peas ripen, some pods
may be gathered for food purposes,
but the benefit to the land will be
greatest if pods and ali be turned
under, which should be done soon
after the vines mature IF pea vines,
or any other green crop, be turned too
soon positive injury will be done the
land by creating an acidity, or sour
ness, that will require time to correct it.
At the proper time, seed the pea
patch to rye When the rye begins to
turn yellow it should be Graded and
treated as follows: Run deep furroWs
through the patch several times in q
row about five feet apart and place
therein the rye, or a portion thereof.
Run other two deep burrows covering
the rye of the first furroW with them)
and place the residue of the rye In them
and cover as aforesaid. Care should
be taken not to put the rye in bodies
sufficiently large to heat, as the fertil-
izing qualities thereof would be thus
destroyed. Well, after the rye has
been properly buried, the unbroken
middles, which should be from one to
two feet broad, should be thoroughly
broken, preferably first with coulter.
Then plant peas and cultivate thor
oughly as aforesaid.
At the proper time, turn under the
pea vines. You will thus have buried
three crops, two of peas and one of
rye. The land is now in good FIX to
follow with wheat and clover, and you
can safely rely on from 80 to 40 bushels
of wheat per acre from land that would
barely produce when the foregoing
treatment was commenced.
Two crops of clover may be mown,
but the third belongs to the land to be
turned under.
God in His wisdom has provided the
foregoing simple and effective mode
for enriching the land, yet how few
people avail themselves of it7 They
go on under system that makes both
themselves and their lands poorer, and
finally leave crop of old field pines to
attest their folly.
The operation of the foregoing is as
follows: During the period Of decom-
position, while the green crops are rot
ting, the oxygen of the air combines
with the carbon in the decaying plants
and forms carbonic acid gas. The
quantities of this gas produced is so
abundant and the fertilizing properties
thereof 80 great that, as near "a l can
calculate, the value of the fertilizer
employed on the first crop viii be In
creased at last tenfold.
The commercial fertilizers, such as
guano, would as believe, if properly
used, be great blessing. The proper
use of these, or any other fertilizers, is
to manufacture earbonic acid gas by
growing and turning green crops, as
aforesaid. We thus bride the atmos-
phere and draw therefrom (while the
green crops are rolling) a valuable fer
tilizing element that would otherwise
sweep over our fields unemployed.
should have observed that carbonic
acid gas being heavier than common
air the burrows, when turning the green
crops, should be run on q level as
nearly as practical in order to more
effect1ally retain said gas.
BKYAN KX9eN.
Don-;Aw AZ q