The Colfax chronicle., 1894-02-24
FARMER AND PLANTER.
GREEN MANuRING.
An Important Factor In Maintaining the
Soils Fertility.


An Important Factor in Maintaining the
Soils Fertility.
No section of the country has anv ad-
vantage over the south in its ability to
keep up the fertility of its soil by the
very cheap and natural process OF turn
ing under various vegetable crops from
time to time. For at least ten months
in the year something can be kept
growing on all our soils that have fer
tility enough in them to grow any
thing. If our farmers had only real
lied twenty or even ten years ago that
it was possible for them to combine q
''fallow crop" with nearly every crop
they grew. say if they had realized
it and acted upon it, their lands would
not have been in the worn out condi-
tion that they are to-day. This worn
condition in nearly every instance is
owing to the exhaustion of the humus
from the soil, which, if restored to the
land, would fit it for producing profit
able crops again, needing nothing
further perhaps than a little potash
and phosphoric acid. Mineral elements
that are the lest costly of manurial
substances.
!. No farm in the south, large or small,
should be run on any other plan than
the one that persistently gives cer-
tain per cent. of the acreage to grain
oats chiefly, below the sS degree of
latitude; but in some sections rye shar-
ing fair consideration with oats.
Wheat is crop that ceased some
years ago to warrant any attention on
the southern farm except in circum-
scribed localities
But oats and rye-the one or the
other or both should claim certain
acreage on every farm in Georgia-that
is on every farm where any attempt is
made to have cattle, hogs or sheep, if
only few.
For twenty years we have advocated
the use of perennial grasses and the
clovers for providing the principal sup
ply of stock food. There is little profit
to be found in growing corn in the
south, but the self-sustaining farm
must grow a little of it. The chief
supply of grain necessary for the
work stock should come from oats,
which calls for very little work to
make a crop (where sown in the fall on
land rich enough to make CROP. At
least 20 per cent, if not 80, of the
cultivated acreage should be devoted to
oats. BY cultivated acreage, we mean
all land that is broken with the plow
once or oftener during the year.
The southern farmer that makes a
full use of the several varieties of
clover that is perfectly adapted to our
climate and soils will find very little
use for peas as a means of supplying
humus. but SO long as clover is neg
lected peas must be used for the pur-
pose, but it is far less economical than
clover as can readily be shown.
Clover can be sown with the grain in
October and after the grain is cut
of in May or June the clover will grow
off very rapidly and soon take full
possession of the soil.
In few weeks crop of hay can be
made, and later the second growth can
be turned under, which will afford
finally bourtiful supply Of humus.
growing clover with grain, whether
it be oats or rye or wheat, we think it
best, as rule, to sow it with the grain
in October, but it can be sown advan-
tageously oftentimes, in February, sew
eral months after the grain was put in.
After running harrow over the grain
ten or twelve pounds of good clover
seed can be broad-casted over the grain.
1t will not need any covering. One
good crop of clover secured to our
average soils before they have become
much worn, will insure increased fer
tility for number of years
Besides the reel or the sapling varie-
ties of clover. we can make use of the
crimson or the burr for restoring hu-
mus, but these are not available for
shading the soil through the summer
as the first mentioned, because they
will not grow after hot weather comes.
They are strictly winter clovers and
and must be sown in the fall:
Other plants that we can use as
humus providers in one way or another,
are Lespedeza, vctch melelotus, our
cowpeas. Only leguminous plants need
to be mentioned in this connection.
Certain grasses on occasion and Incl
dentally may be used, but when one
deliberately chooses plant for manu-
rial purposes he will not go outside OF
the pod bearers to get one.
1t is quite well known that seed OF
cowpeas will lie in the ground several
months without rotting and will ger
inmate and grow off when the ground
warns up. The feature of this variety
enables it to be used in manner some
what similar to clover, SO far as sowing
the seeds along with grain early in the
spring.
The southern farmer need not be al
loss for means of supplying humus
AS last resort, if by any chance he
was not in a condition to make use OF
any of the plants we have named he can
let the grain field grow up in rag weed
for two or three seasons and thereby
secure humus as rich in quality almost
as that provided by peas or clover.