The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-06-12
HOW TO IMPROVE LAND AND RE-
CEIVE COMPENSATION
FOR LABOR.

G1L3Gs mas DTON4QC0 "CCAA SA
if put into practice, obviate b neces-
sity of sweating so much. The very
air we breathe contains elements OF
fertility that would, if properly bridled,
enrich all our farming lands. l will
detail briefly a plan for efecting said
purpose.
Select for a test say one acre and
ploW thoroughly. Before the last
blowing apply broadcast 400 lbs. (two
sacks of guano or its equivalent in any
other fertilizer, and turn under shall
low. AS I propose to multiply this
fertilizer about tenfold before taking
anything off the land, lit will be econ
Omy to use the largest practical guam
tity. In a certain test, guano at the
rate of about 700 lbs. per acre proved
ruinous to the crop, but in about a year
the land produced with great vigor. l
believe that 400 lbs. of guano per acre
can be safely applied, but the farmer
must exercise judgment in this matter.
Lay off into drills about 4feet apart,
ridge thereon, open the ridge with a
narrow pillow and drop'therein the ordi
nary COW pea, preferably of the kind
that will produce the largest vines.
The stalks should stand in the drill
from 4 to 6 inches apart, only one stalk
at a place. Cultivate thoroughly, it
being desirable to raise the largt posi-
BILE crop of vines.
When the peas ripen a suficiency
may be gathered to defray the expense
of culture, including the coshs guano,
but if the pods be turned under with
the vines SO much the better, the fertil
izing property of the pea itself being
very great. Some years ago a farmer
near here gathered and piled in the
field a quantity of peas, some Of which
shattered out. Wheat followed and
was much better where the peas had
been shattered. After this he would
have no more peas gathered on halves,
preferring to turn them under for fer
tiliZing purposes.
was recently informed by a farmer
that, in an experiment, he applied
equal quantities of guano and corn
me6l, and that the rows to which he
applied the corn meal only seemingly
did as we'll as the rows that had the
same measure of guano, and I bell We
that pea meal would have been still
more valuable. I mention these facts
to prove the great value of grain as a
&n~&S1SuOm "ROn &VTm~A1 VVnInw arH NOV
mitted to rot.
/ will now return to the pea vines,
which should be turned under soon
after they ripen, and before frost Of
any kind of a green crop, including
clover, be turned too green it will
sour and injure the land, requiring
lime to correct it,
Follow the peas with rye, using the
largest practical quantity of seed, and
/ do not believe that one bushel per
acre will be any too much. When the
rye is nearly ripe Gf fully ripe I believe
the results would be still better, the
grain is not SO apt to sprout) it should
be moved close to the ground and
treated as follows: Run deep furrow We
twice in a row. about five feet apart
and place a proper portion of the rye
therein; then owe with two burrows.
Now place more of the rye in these two
burrows and cover. The arrangement
should be such that after the rye has
all been buried unbroken middlee
about a foot broad will be left between
each of the three burrows containing
the rye. These middles should be
thoroughly plowed and planted with
peas, which should be treated and
turned as aforesaid.
We have now turned three crops
tive of peas and of rye, and paid
expenses as we went by gathering E
proper quantity of peas. In addition
to this we have increased the guanc
FROM two sacks, we will say to twenty
sacks, and not of a nature to burn MOI
injure.the crop. The ground may nov
be seeded to wheat and clover, using
the largest quantity of seed wheat tina
is practical for the richest of land. j
PAOP01 PaAAS 10 t6h0A Ill SS00AbS III
wheat you can safely count on from 81
to 40 bushels off your acre.
At the proper time lin autumn) tn,
clover should be mown, which will
give a large crop of excellent hay. Tn
following spring it may be now
again. But the third crop of Glove
belongs to the land, and at the prope
time it should be turned and followe,
with corn.
Ac ~oOD~ou tho corn moty4roo s,,aG