The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1896-01-02
FARMING WITHOUT MANURE.
a Brief Account of Results Obtained Upor
wornout Connecticut Farm.


Keeping live stock to maintain the
fertility Of the land is accepted as the
best plan by the majority of farmers,
but there are some who tell us that this
is hot the best way under all circum-
stances. Following is an account Of re-
suits gained upon wornout farm of los
acres in Connecticut The land was
mainly light sandy loan. Twelve years
ago without fertilizer it yielded less
than six bushels Of rye to the acre. The
fifth year afterWard, intermediate crops
Of corn and potatoes having been taken
from the ground, l6 tons Of hay were
cut from the same 5i3 acre field. The
principal crops naw are corn, 30 acres,
/ potatoes, 20; tobacco, s; tomatoes, :;
cucumbers, 3 onions, 2; squashes, ,,
and a large acreage in grass. The yields
| for IA series Of Years have been generally
good and sometimes exceptional. There
are some sheep, a few COWS and several
horses. but the quantity Of stock kept is
comparatively small. The corn fodder
is fed 70 the stock, but most Of the hay
is haled and sold All the barn manure
made Is used, but this goes but lt.Ie
way The hay and other crops are prae.
| tically allsold IF the farm, and the fer
tility that goes with them IS restored in
some oihor shape than that Of stable
manure
The fertilizers relied on are tobacco
stems, castor pamaee, bone meal, super
phosphate, muriate Of potash and nj
trate Of soda. Tobacco stems are applied
to a greater extent, according to cost,
than anything else They are used aS
fertilizer for tobacco, potatoes and on
ions and TO Il certain extent fer the hay
crop In all cases they are plowed in,
except when applied to grass as a top
dressing.
For potatoes two tons Of tobacco stems
are ploWed in and $50 pounds of meal
and an equal quantity Of phosphate ap-
piled in the drIll to each acre. Castor
pomace, muriate Of potash and nitrate
of soda are used differently under differ
ent circumstances. The same fertilizer
~ not used alike for corn and potatoes.
For corn two mixtures are used. One
is castor pomace, honemeal and muir
ate Of potash. The other is bonemeal,
superphosphate and muriate of potash.
There is little choice between them.
Everything is broadcasted for corn, ex-
cept that when tobacco stems are APP
piled and plowed in one Of the above
mixtures is used i'll the drill. By these
means the yield of corn has been brought
up to over 100 bushels Of ears per acre,
and Of hay to three tons to the acre
Although the possibility Of improving
poor land by blowing under green crops
is not doubted the method is not prac-
ticed because too slow. Applied ferti-
hzers bring quicker and more profitable
returns. The rule is not to plant a rod
of ground that is not fertilized, and to
apply just as much fertilizer as can be
used proftahly. Experience has shown
that it is not practicable to go much be
yond "a certain mark for corn or stop +
much short Of it and obtain the best /
paying results Prices vary somewhat I
but for corn, ordinarily, an outlay u 10
cents an acre for Fertilizers is found tc /,
be about the profitable limit.
Tho same general practice with ferti- T
lizers has been followed from the begin /
ming, except with regard 10 nitrate Of T
soda. At first "a small quantity, about I
200 pounds, was used, but this has been
increased to between two and three tons T
annually, mainly applied rs a top dress
ing to grass, Tobacco stems, castor po-
mace, grass roots and stubble are relied +
OH to furnish humus. A great quantity of F
material is furnished by decaying green /
roots where turf land is turned down I
about every third year The rotations I
are frequent. The first year turf land is I
plowed, in the fall, if possible, and T
planted to corn. This is followed by po-
tatoes. The succeeding year what land I
may be wanted for tobacco is taken T
from this and the remainder planted to I
potatoes; the next year the land is seed F
ed down to timothy
The result, contrary to the general |
opinion, is that heavier crops of hay are |
grown by following potatoes than to- |
bacco. But, concludes the writer Of the I
foregoing, correspondent of Country |
Gentleman, with such "a diversity of T
crops there can be no fixed rule as toro- +,
tations except that cultivated crops are T
not grown more than two years in the I
same soil and the grass not more than |
three years.