The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-04-10
TaR CHEAPEST FERTILIZER IS
A BAG OF PEAS

The commercial feri iliG9Ts are q
great blessing when properly used, but
II depended on entirely they soon run
the farmer in debt and aid in reduciDg
the fertility of the farm by causing the
land to produce more than it should
naturally. Il is not so much what q
FERTILIZER dots for a crop directly. as
what il does indirect y by causing the
and to give up more Of its plant food
than it would heve done that season.
The question naturally arises how
can we manage to reduce our fertilizer
bill and at the same time make as good,
or better crops Ehau wItn the use OF
fertil zers alone. Tnis can easily be
done ii we use so ut Of the legumes in
our rotation on the farm.
These plants have the happy faculty
of benef1ting the land and feeding the
stock, hence the farmer who grows
them is twice blessed. They are the
suress mortgage filters, and il persist
entity grown will make the farm and
the farmer both rich.
SO in all of your growing, growpeas,
or some other legume. This particular
crop is emphasized because it is a sure
crop, easily gro En, and the seeds are
cheap. FeW are the misses with COW
peas, and anybody a get them, and
every body should employ them 70 help
restore his worn lands or retain fertil
lty on his good soil.
SINE one has ap ~ called legumes
nitrogen traps" as they are so expert
at storing up a large emount OF nitro
gen. The important thing lie to get
fertility in the soil by the cheapest
method possible, and as the pea crop
will furnish US wish a large amount at
a very small cost, OF curse it is the
agent to use.
By planning our system OF crops we
Ia grow two or three crops a gear,
aud each n will pay expenses and
make a handsome return. Toe reno
vatOrs generally can be recognized
from the folio wing characteristics:
they the land with a depse
gro Vth, thus giving a dense shads;
second, the leaves ere usually broad,
OF elae thick in the stem; third, the
roots go deep in the soil and the tap
root is quite large in proportion.
Best of all, though, is the growth Of
parasites, or organism On the roots OF
the legumes. These ere not harmful
Go the pea crop, but rather helpful In
fact, the finest vines will be found to
have more Of these little nodules than
tue weaker plants; hence their growth
in no way seems to impair the health
OF the host, but on the other hand is
beneficial. In other words, the little
colonies on the roots of the pea that
are fed somewhat by the host. also
help the host by fixing the free nj 70
gen. They seem to have formed a mu
tuaI benefit society.
Thus the pea crop not only stores ND
in the stem, leaves, and seeds AN i'm.
menss amount Of the valuable eIaronts
fer plant and animal food. but in oddi
tion, as il to try TO do more. it aIIous
this little colony OF parasites tn 80
op it's roots that they may sccnnTIoto
free nitrogen from the cir ana A. i+;
a soluble, tangible form for fu,r-oH1
To think that by gro wing this oLoHS
" raised crop the farmer can 1o-
r o: hay from his land that sc" l"
pass in value most any other ,aH sur
grown, and then leave in the aSn IlTp
and roots covered with the S'uOo'e
more fertilizer by far, for the -ouules
than would be put there nv ,S.crop'
lavish handi "e most
Nitrogen is in excess and
add some of the mineral - could
advantage 80 that the fsrtni"Wnts &C
be balanced up.
The feed value, and soma .,
varieties will b. treated Of IN .ne pest
article later. anOtneE
B. ]. 1