The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-02-12
AGRICULTURAL.
Mr., Fosters BOund-Uut Meadow.
BY j. W. NEWTON.

Mr.. Fosters inquiry interests me
much-because it is aquestion that is
being asked by thousands of Vermont
farmers" How shall get my bound
out meadows into good condition in the
shortest time, and with the least out
layp" These meadows have borne grass
for years, little plant food has been put
back upon them, the owners have no
manure to put on them, and think
phosphates too expensive. Fertility
must then come from the air and the
soil, or rather from both. There is
plenty of plant food in most soils
about two and one-half tons each of
nitrogen and phosphoric acid and three
tons of potash on an acre, the first nine
inches in depth-while the air contains
an unlimited supply of nitrogen. But
most of the plant food in the soil is in
soluble, and the nitrogen of the air
must be caught and then set loose in
the soil to be of use. 1t is now known
that leguminous plants have the power
of taking nitrogen from the air, and
putting it just where it is needed for
future crop. And we know that one Of
the legumes, common red clover, has a
root system which reaches down deep
into the soil and brings up mineral
plant food from below where plant
roots usually go.
Mr.. Foster speaks of rye, buckwheat,
millet and crimson clover. Only the
last is q legume, and its value for Yer
mont is yet unknown. If any reader
of the WATCHMAN can give it any in
formation as to the value of crimson
clover in the North, he will do the
farmer readers of the paper great ia
vor by sending written statement con-
corning it to the editor. In another
column will be found an article on its
value in Wisconsin, and, from all can
learn, do not ground much expecta-
ton on this plant for this climate.
Neither rye, buckwheat nor millet add
much to the fertility of the soil when
plowed under. Common red clover is
the one great crop, so far as is now
known, to renovate soils.
An acre of good clover contains in
the vines, roots, ETC., 1872 pounds of nj
trogen; As pounds of phosphoric acid
and 1874 pounds of potash. You see
good crop of clover saves big fertilizer
bill. send with this article clipping
from the Practical Farmer, written by
T. b. Terry, on "Clover and Corn"
There is food for thought in this arti-
Gle. The vast stores of plant food
which are lying idle in the surface soil
can be made available only by crops
like red clover and by tillage. Tilage
may not have the same effect on all
soils, but many farmers have found out
that it pays them well TO make the soil
as fine as possible up to a certain ex-
tent. Cultivating corn and potatoes
fines the soil, as does narrowing. Clio.
yer and tillage are the means upon
which farmers must depend to enrich
the soil if they do not use fertilizers or
manure. And where these are used
clover and tillage should not be neg
lected.
The use TO which the land is to be
put after it is reclaimed is matter of
much importance. l suppose Mr.. Eos
ter wants to grow herdsgrass on his
land. But the farmers of Vermont
ought to seriously consider whether they
can afford to grow this grass-whether
there are not other crops that can be
more protita by grown. l have come to
the conclusion that Vermont farmers
should grow clover and corn, and that
the growing of herdsgrass year after
year is the high road to ruin. There
are farms on which corn and clover
cannot be grown. Men on such land
must grow grass or trees, but most of
the land in the state that can be plowed
will grow corn. If had piece of
land like Mr.. Fosters, l would try red
clover. If he knows that hard wood
ashes benefit the soil, it would be well
to put on at least ten bushels per acre.
In place of this, fifty pounds of muria.e
of potash might be used. This would
help the clover. Some crop like oats,
or peas and oats, might be sown with
the clover il thought best, aud cut very
early for hay or green fodder. would
keep cattle off, run moving machine
over twice the second year, and plow
the crop under the second fall.