The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-09-03
SMALL GRAIN SoInING CROP.

Every farmer knows how desirable IL
is 10 have something green" on when
10 feed his live stock during the winter
ard spriug The usual resort is To sow
re or barley 10 be pastured of. but not
very satisfactory results are obtained
on i7s,st farms and there are serious OBJ
isctions 10 the plan. In the first place
~. AMI barley are generally sown 100
late for the plants 20 get good foo'holu
Before cold weather sets I'm. In the next
place. poor land without manure Will not
.,ra.It,ce enough growth to afford much
grazing. The objection to the plan is the
danger of iniuring the soil by the tramp
ling Of stock when IL is wet. No moor
should H. permitted on cultivated lahu
when the soil is too wet 10 pillow. ana
we know that this condition exists our
ing half the time between December ISL
and April LIST.
I have had fairly good and satisfactory
results from grazing fields of oats sown
in October. II well MANFRED and well
seeded an oat crop Will furnish consid-
cradle grazing during January and Fed
ruary without very great injury i nave
grazcd an October sown oat field during
dry times To as late as February loth,
and then secure a yield Of twenty-five 10
thirty bushels of grain TO the acre. But
the Weld would probably have been sew
permitted. I am inclined TO think that
the chief benefit resulting from sowing
the cotton fields In rye or other winter
growing crop IS the fact that the plants
take up the surplus soluble plant food
LETT by the cotton crop and carry II over
10 the benefit Of the next corn crop. !
/ believe thar this Idea Of planting cover
crops for the above purpose Is going TO
be a practical feature Of our farming
h
that the preceding cotton crop. during the
usually dry months OF September ana
pctoi.. r. has not appropriated and con-
yumed the available plant food-espccial-
~ the nitroc,u-and that such soluble
food would be leached out OF the soil by
the winter and spring rains. Another ad-
vantage Of such a cover crop following
cotton especially on broken land. is that
the roots II the plants bind the soil to-
e. thgr and also catch the leaves and
other vegetable matter that cover the sur
face and prevent the rains from wash
ing them away 20 tho swamps and rivers
Winter Soiling Crop.
But 7 am convinced that the live stock
will receive = much greater benefit from
patches ~ rich or highly fertilized soil
sown thicf,ly in barley or rye or oats
a. Doe cut by Scythe or mower and fed 10
the stock in the stable or lot. This IS
what is called 'soilin-." as most Of our
readers understand. For this purpose
harley has long been esteemed as the best
cf tho small grain. because IL IS not only
as hardy MS rye but Is also much more
nutritious and better relished by stock
7 have Tor wears occasionally preached
the plan of sowing a mixture Of barley
and rye on the same soil and with very
satisfactory results. About one and one
half bushels % barley and two TO three
bushels ~ rye are enough for a rich
acre. and any time I'm September will
slo a. sow The ground should he quite
r.rh and should be deeply plowed. The
barley may Zee narrowed In with a cut
away harrow. or plowed I'm with a small
pillow 81 amy kind. Then sow the rye and
harrow in lightly with smoothing har-
row. Last year We had an acre sOwn 10
barley and rye in September as above de-
scrhed. Cutting and feeding commenced
about November 18th and Il required six
weeks 20 get over 81 one time feeding
fifteen head Of cattle "A good feed daily
during that time. The acre was gone
over twice again before MAY and then
turned over and planted in corn. and
the crop. now safe. promises a yield of
uftE bushels al Shellrd corn.
Hairy Vetch.