Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-01-28

well cared for las dways been orn-I
sidered The hsa method Of preserv-l
ing the fertility of the soil, as it
contains all the ingredients neces-
sary for plant growth; but few far
mers, even with the best care, have
sufficient TO supply the need Of their
farms. wv
Green manuriug and commercial
fertilizipg have ,l been FegsSolE,tssd 4 to
with variable success, Fertilizers
are expenses, and as their benefits
are usually confined to o single sea-
son, il this should for any cause be
unfavorable, ltheincrease in the crop
may not meet the additional ex-
pense. Green manuTing or the
blowing down of some green crop
to enrich the soil, has the advant-
age that it's fertilizing effects are
more permanent, and it has the ad-
ditional value of loossning the soil
and bringing it into a.better condi-
ton for culture. It would there
fore seem preferable to depending
upon commercial fertilizers, provi-
ded it can be. done without loss.
Flowing under, green clover and
other leguminous plants has been
practiced from time immemorial
by good farmers in. all countries,
but sometimes with only partial
success. The clovers. and the COW
peas and lupine used, contain large
quantities of nitrogen which is very
valuable as. plant food, costing. in
fertilizers three or four times as
much as the other. necessary-ingre-
dents, but to produce their best re-
suits they must have with them pot
ash and phosphoric. acid. When
these are found, in the soil, then
the green manuring supplying nit
rogen and humus is always success
full. 1t is then advisable when
these manures are to be used to
supplement them with potash and
phosphoric acid fertilizers. o...s
These are comparatively cheap
and can be profitably added to the
growing green crop. There is still
another question affecting the ex-
pense of the green crop manure.
Barnyard manure. still holds the
first place il therefore, much of
the value of the green crop can be
turned into food for cattle and then
the waste in feeding and the ma.
nure they produce put back upon
the fields, is it not better to feed
the ieguminous' crops, the clover
and the peas to CATTLE. COWS and
hogs either green or matuIed and
get first from it all the meat and
milk possible, and then return to
the field the manure made by the
stock, which, together with the
stubble and the roots of the le-
gumes will keep up a supply of MI
trogen, and add, to the growing
green crops a sufficient quantity of
potash and phosphoric acid to keep
the soil in good condition. This
seems to be the conclusion of the
New York farmers in the discussion
of the subject at their last conven-
ton. .r,a ..,a...a.' e.. .l..,r... .
1t would be necessary with such
disposal of clover or peas to keep
a sufficient quantity of stock to
consume the whole. crop. The ro-
tation with corn after these crops
followed by wheat, would produce
good results. Farmers can procure
from these leguminous crops nitro
gen much cheaper than they can
buy it in the commercial fertilizer.
1t may be necessary to produce
these crops at their best TO add to
the soil small quantity of the
cheap fertilizers, to furnish potash
and phosphoric acid r,t t..I ..-.
Old worn out fields if treated in
this way with repeated crops of
clover or peas will soon recuperate
and bring good crops of corn and
wheat. The most economical meth
cd of keeping the soil in good con-
dition fOrrall kinds. of crops, is the
best method ; but il il. not economy
to allow your fields to be waste and
barren when such easy methods are
within reach to enrich them and
make them produce good crops.
Enriching with green legdminous
manures plowed under or with ma
nnre from stock fed upon them, is
a sure and cheap inethod-AN Ex-
PERTMENTFR in Farm, Ea,rs ....-.