The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-12

our southern friends have been mlsled py
the writings of northern men into suppC >
ing that the same practices thal pieNal
there can be used in the south, ana many
to their sorrow have tried the pioWlrs
under of green crops, only TO ma that NY
result in a sandy soil and warm climate y
damaging instead of beneficial NOW, we
wish 10 say that we don't believe in green
nanuring as it is understood IN the north'
and we have always warned our lrleiuS
against the practice. Even In northern
climate and on the clay SOILS Where thc
practice originated we do not thihk VIZ
blowing under of green crops IN the hlsht
Of summer is the best we can do for our
lands.
In the growing of leguminous plants TOT
the Improvement OF the soil It IS Wen
known that the benefit to the SOIL comes
largely from the fiXation OF nitrogen III
the land through the agency OF the root
microbes and that this work Is not zone
in the earlier stages Of the pant
growth, but as 1t natures IT, then' we
cut short the work the plant Is doing Tor
us when IL is less than half done, ana bury
the whole In the soil, we not only run
the imminent risk Of souring the land, but
we lose what the plant would have done
for US had we allowed 1t to complete its
growth. Then. too, we do not get the
amount of humus we would have gotten
from the full growth. So we would not
use the term green manuring at all, as ~
is misleading to inexperienced cultivators.
Use the leguminous crops for the restora-
ton of the humus by all means, since
through their help you can get the needed
vegetable matter in the soil more cheaply
than in any other manner but let the
legumes do all they can for you before you
pillow them under. and never plow them
under green in hot weather.
our southern field or COW pea Is the
grandest OF all iegumes for the south, and
u Il is allowed 10 get perfectly mature and
allowed TO die on the land nothing but
good will come from blowing II under. but
do not let any green manure enthusiast,
who never grew crops In his life, persuade
YOU TO sacrifice the pea crop. and al the
same time run the risk Of doing serious
damage 10 your land by blowing them un-
der green.
In no way can you better start the de-
velopment OF the productive powers of ex-
hausted land than by growing COW peas
on IL for the purpose Of blowing them un-
der, and nowhere will the commercial fer
tilizers pay you better than on this same
pea crop. for on the peas you can use only
the cheaper forms OF mineral fertilizers Ia
the shape OF acid phosphate and potash,
and thus enable the peas 70 use more nj
trogen and TO leave more fixed In the soil.
Then II the growth Is 20 be plowed under
when mature, the greater the growth you
YOU can get into the land. The phosphorlc
acid and potash viii not get away from
you. but are there to help the succeeding
crop and you will ind that the fertilizer
applied to the peas Will give you better re-
turns Ia the sale crop following than n Il
had been applied directly 10 the sale crop.
This, az ] have for years Insisted, A. the
true way 10 build up our lands by feeding
literally the crop that feeds The soil
am not writing from mere theory but
what I have done myself and persuaded
others TO do who have found the practice
the correct thing
Legume growing "a the key 20 prosperity
IN the south. and the practice Of applying
the cheaper forms OF plant food 10 le-
gumes ~ the key 10 success N getting
them 20 do their full duty for us. Tho big
ger che growth Of peas you can Eet on
your land. the bigger the crops that fol-
low. But never plow them under green.