The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-11-12

son that crops on fresh land are freer
IRON blight and disease than on cid
land, where commercial fertilizers alone
have been used for several successive
years, with the result that nearly every
v'estlge OF humus has disappeared from
the soil.
as an lmprover of the lard, takes almost
the same place i'll winter that peas do in
summer. 1t also prevents washing. It
may De soWn all through the fall and is
valuable green food for stock during
winter Turned under during early
spring 1t contributes large share of the
needed humus TO the soil. Even the
natural growth of
WEEDS AND GRASS,
which spring up after every cultivated
crop, can be turned under and made to
90 duty in manufacturing plant food for
future crops. Don't wait for heavy
frost to destroy the most valuable con.
stltuents III these spontaneous crops.
put turn them under as soon as posi-.
BILE. Treated thus they will not only
decompose, but, if the burrows are only
partly turned, they will keep the soil
open and porous, and prevent washing
by gathering up the winter rains and
storing them in lower depths. If the
vegetable growth is very heavy, an ap.
plication of lime will be found to hasten
decomposition. 1t also helps liberate
otherwise unavailable materials con-
tanned Ill the soil. In executing this
FALL FLOWING
lay Off the beds across the fall of the
lana, SO that the water will not run in
the line OF the plow and wash away the
SOIL. Ii this precaution is observed
washing will be checked and the water
Will eventually reach lower level by a
slower and less destructive process It
Will thus be seen that in
SUPPLYING LAND WITH HUMUs
we are furnishing one of the most need
1ul, as well as most important, helps to
our agriculture, tecause we give the
land, besides the actual plant food which
we put into it, the power to appropriate
and supply to our growing crops the
locked up elements which it already
contains. 1t Is not yet too late to sow
WHEAT,
but every effort should be made by
cross blowing, narrowing and rolling to
put the land in the very best possible
condition.
may also be sown. In the Atlantic and
Gulf states the crop stands better
chance to escape winter killing when
sown late than in higher ATTITUDES. The
protracted drouth prevented the early
seeding of this crop, and many farmers
Will take the chances now AS a gen.
eral rule, however. it is safer when the
sowing is so long delayed to defer it un-
til after Christmas. All of these green
crops furnish more or less humus to the
soil, but rye more especially is an i'm
proven of the land. Where it is posi-
BILE all unoccupied land should be seeded
In some one of these green crops. Few
farmers have carefully studied this
question of protecting their lands from
washing and from deterioration. 1t
should be their aim to secure both these
conditions at the smallest possible cost.
II the wonderful processes of nature are
observed, and her laws carefully fol.
lowed III prosecuting this important
work, III other words, if we will give
her the necessary raw materials at the
proper time, she will at once take hold
of them and begin the important work
of converting them into valuable plant
food. to be ready for the demands of the
spring crops. The work of
COMPOSING
all available materials should be stead.
lily followed all dusing the winter. One
can scarcely employ his spare time more
profltably than in gathering up and pre-.
par1ng to give back to his land some
part of what he has been taking from
1T year after year. The stables should
be supplied with bedding, and the accu.
mulated manure, liquid and solid, should
be removed as often as necessary. If
not composted or put under shelter. it
should be hauled at once and spread ON
the land rather than allowed to lose
some of its most valuable constituents
by being thrown out into the open barn.
yard.
FATTENING HOGS
should not be kept after they are in con.
dition for good pork. The plan is to
push them now, to be ready for the first
cold spell. We have generally found
that pork killed before Christmas stands
a better chance for keeping than that
killed later. We cannot expect the best
quality of meat unless all the details of
and comfort are attended to.
See that there is plenty of clean food
and pure water. and that the pens are
kept free of filth.
Il. I. NEsBITT, Commissioner.