The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1894-04-14
EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT.

The Sixth Report of the State Ex-
pertinent Station has recently been is
sued, and as it gives a review of the
work of the Station since its organiza-
tion, a copy should be in the hands of
every farmer. 1t is quite full in regard
to the use of fertilizers, both natural
and commercial, and the conclusion is
reached that, in most cases, is cheap
err to grow them in the form of green
crops to be plowed under, than it is to
buy them. The report says:
mo soil can be made to prod loe good
crops without the presence of ii fair
supply OF humus or decaycd vegetable
matter. Freshly cleared lands. and
lands which have not been plowed for
many years, usually contain an abun
dance of humus, but when lands have
long been cultivated in hood crops like
corn and cotton the humus becomes ex-
hausted, and must be replaced before
they can be made profitable. Just how
this humus shall be supplied must de-
pend on the circumstances OF each plan
tation. When it can be had in suffi-
cient quantity, there is no better ma
terial for this purpose than is stable
manure, but as this can seldom be Sc
cured in sufficient amounts recourse
must be had to other materials. Cotton
seed for clay soils, and cotton seed meal
for sandy soils, answer the purpose per-
| fectly, but both are expensive and on
nearly all plantations the most cconom-
ical method for securing a Sufficient
supply of humus is by the growing and
blowing under of some green, legumi-
nous crop like lespedeza, COW peas. or
red clover. On lands where either of
these crops has been grown. there is
little trouble in making satisfactory
crops of corn or cotton by the use OF
moderate amounts of commercial fer
tilizers. Lespedeza will grow on soil
which is too exhausted, dry, and hard
for either of the others, and is undoubt-
edly the best plant for use where the
soil is in Il very poor condition. 1t re-
spends quickly to an application of 200
pounds OF cotton seed meal per acre.
and by making such an application a
fair crop OF lespedeZa can be grown on
almost any SOIL II the soil is sufficient
ly fertile to make fair crop of lespe-
deza without the use OF fertilizer. COW
peas will be the better crop to grow, as
they make much heavier growth than
does the lespedeza, their roots are
larger and extend more deeply into the
ground and will so build up the soil
more rapidly.
When the soil is rich in lime. as in
the entire northeastern prairie region.
melilotus is the best fer1ilizing crop
which can be grown. Its roots are
larger and extend deeper into the
ground than do those of any other res
torative plant which we can grow: the
plants die and the roots decay at the
end of the second season. and so the
plant adds more to the valuable plant
food in the soil than does any other of
the many which we have tested 1t
will grow we'll on any Of the black
Iprairie soils, even on those too exhaust
| ed or in too poor condition for making
good crops Of red clover; it does equal
| ly we'll on white lime lands, makes
good hay and pasture, being especially
valuable for winter grazing, and as i.
restorative crop for lime lands, is un-
dOubtedly the most valuable one we
have. Unfortunately it will not grow
on soils which are deficient in lime, as
} are most of those in the pine woods
region, and for that section OF the State
COW peas and lespedeza are the most
satisfactory restorative crops.
1t is much easier to keep a field in
good condition than it is to build it up
when it has become run down and ex-
hausted. and for maintaining the fer
tility and productiveness Of soils already y
in good, or even fair condition. there il
no other plant as valuable as red clover
1t requires better soil, and one which
is in a better mechanical condition
than does either of the other restora'
tive crops named, but as it gives us oul
most valuable hay crop in addition to
its action as a restorative crop, it is the
best plant we have for maintaining the
fertility of lands which have never be-
come exhausted, or which have beer
renovated by the use of either lespe'
deza, COW peas, or melilotus. Having
secured good mechanical condition in
the soil, together with an abundant
supply of humus by means OF green
crops, but little additional fertilizer
will be needed"
Copies ofthe report may be had, free
by sending postal card to Director OF
Experiment Station, Agricultural Col.
lege, Miss.