The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-09-10
COVER CROPS.

7, use6 70 be a current idea among
farmers that land is benefited ny rest
ing" ard that IL was. therefore, goou
practice u let n portion of the farm lie
out Of cultivation for year or more
Even the leading agricultural writers ad-
vocated absolute rest as a part OF a
regular rotation. insisting that there is
an uneNplaihabe rccuperative power IN
th. soil II exempted from the burden OF
regular crop once in every few years Oh
course I 20 not deny that a SOIL VIII
produce better crop after lying out TOT
4 year or two. The term rest" however
is p misnomcr when applied to the SOIL
and does rot at all express what takes
place. or what Il is that causes rested
soil 10 give better crops.
Th.. fact il that "A soil VIII not rest IN
th,. sense. that il viii cease TO bring iorlh-
IL is bound To produce something In the
shane of vegetation. IL not seeded Win
seeds 81 some cultivated crop, II VIII
bring forth weeds. briars and broom
sc,!g,. and bushes. IL may truly be saiu
10 rs, from the pillow and the hoe ana
other implements of cultivation, and when
thus left To itself il Will gradually lapse
into its original Wild state. producing
nothing of value until the. second grown
timber becomes large enough TO pay LOT
cutting for fuel. A better way than rest
lug the soil by letting ii lie out OF cult
walton is 10 seed it down In some crop that
viii not requ lie cultivation. and when
will al the same time not only yield some
valuable returns to the barn, but also
Effect "A more certain andsrapid recupera-
ton
one Of these crops ia Bermuda &: afs'
which practically requires no cultivation
at all. Another il cowpeas. that require
only 10 Ice planted and the crop harvested
But 1 set out 10 write about cover
10 ma =
or planted literally for the purpose oil
covering the soil in the interim between
two regular crops. For instance. Il cotton
Held that IS 10 be planted in corn next
year may bs soNyn in September or &c
,ober ia rye. oats or wheat. 10 be grazeu-
il deSircd-durlnE open weather IN the ldlc
winter ami early spring. ana turned under
in February or very early In March. rye
+ generally employed in this way. Indeed,
whenever any small grain is sown in cot
TON or corn Held in the Tall. even when u
is th. purpose 20 let it ripen crop OF
grain. il j. for the time being a cover
ron. AMI il this small grain be followed
10y a crop OF cowpeas the latter becomes
a cover crop tor the summer months.
The necessity for such a cover crop 10
take possession OF the land during the late
iau and winter IL becoming more appar-
ent IN my experience. every year. The
theory OF its beneficial results Is as
follows:
An ordinary crop OF cotton practically
ceases 10 draw on the soil after an early
date ia september. ana the sol! serves
mainly "a hold Up the plants and permit
the air and sun To- dry and open the bolls
But the chemical changes that Render
soluble ami available the inert plant food
of the soil continue actively at work dur
ing September and October. anu TO some
extent even later. The nitriilcaiion pro
cess. whereby the insolubie organic mat
ter Of The soil Is rendered soluble ana
available To crop. continues TO go on
after the cotton crop makes no Longer
amy draft ON the soil. Moreover, ,hc
winter rains soon set IN. with the effect Of
tll-Sulvius out this soluble plant food. and
either carrying il of the land or down
into the deep Subsoil.
Iu addition 10 ,his soluble plant food
that is made ready for a crop. and no
crop BIS pre~,n, 10 appropriate II. there
pay Dee more or less surplus plant food
that was supplied hy the fertilizer that
was applied to the cott0n-cspecially af-
ter a long dry summer.
Vow. then. the office and purpose Of the
,urtr eror becomes manifest. 1t - 10
take huii of the soil. and with the vigor
aua appetite ~ new plants 10 commence
80 once 20 appropriate whatever Of solu-
bIe plant food The cotton crop failed 10