The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-09-26
READ EXPERIMENT STATION
ULLETINS.

bl lIbE IlNS,
1t is great pity that so many farm.
crs are so conservative and avcrsc 10
making any effort TO change their
that they do not ever take
the trouble 20 get acquainted with new
ideas that might benefit them. AS
result Of this very common feeling the
facts gathered from the experiments
made at the State experiment stations
and published every week or two are to
n large extent ignored by the very peo-
pie for whose benefit these institutions
were established. Every farmer in
each state ought to lave his name put
upon the list at the station IN his State
OF those to whom the bulletins are re-
gularly sent. And moro than that, he
ought to read and study them, and if
there seems to be something that will
benefit him, he ought to make a practic.
al test of it and see if it is worth any
thing to him.
In bulletin 1S of the Arkansas station
there is published an account of some
experiments to determine the effect of
plowing under COW peas, soja beans and
velvet beans, on the next cotton crop,
and the difference in results when the
whole crop is turned under and lust
the stubblG after cutting of the vines.
In each case a half OF the plat was
moved and the vines taken of, and
the otncr half left standing TO be plow-
cd under.
1t was found that the velvet beans
made the largest increase in crops,
both from the vines and the stubblc.
But in every case the plowing under Of
the whole vines made Il greater Increase
than tic stubblc. In the case of corn
planted after sofa beans and cow peas,
the turning under Of the whole sofa
bean vines produced The best results.
In comparing the results OF blowing
under the whole vines and the stubblc,
II was found that while there was con
siderable gain from plowing under the
! whole vines over the Stubblc, the
money value of the increase of the
crop was not equal to the feeding value
OF the hay that was taken OF. But IN
view of the fact that the one crop that
followed the plowing under of the vines
did not take out Of the soil all of the
fertility put there by the vines, it is
probable that the gain TO the soil was
! fully equal to the feeding value.
However, since 1t is possible to gel
! the improvement of the land aS well us
the feeding value, that plan ought b,
all means TO br adopted. OF course il
the hay is fed to stock and the manure
made returned to the same land, ii vii
| get the gain. But why not turn tn,
stock III and let them gather the feed
and distribute the manure themselves
We have never known any one to prac
tice continuously for amy length o
time sowing peas after oats OF wheat
to be graZcd down, and then the sam,
land sown again in the same crop: O
alternating wheat with oats; but it i
our belief that with the addition of
little phosphate and potash, that prac
ticc might he kept up indefinitely an,
not only increase the amount of TIT
crop gathered each year, but add to th
permanent fertility OF the soil.
In all the older States, except IN thus
smal sections where there is Il ricl
limestone soil, the uplands are nov
pretty well run down through contiuu
GUS cropping and washing away of th
soil. 1t is therefore the most import
ant lesson that can be learned to re
store the fertility OF the soil and at th
same time make profitable crops. |
this can be done at all, ii will have t,
be done, so far as our present know
edge goes, by the use of lcguminou
crops. In the South cow peas, or pos
slbly velvet beans, seem TO be the bcs
adapted. The important thing to lin,
out on each farm is the kind of Gro
rotation that will enable the farmer {
make the largest use of them and no
interfere with regular crops, and at th
same time not to cost too much.
Planting peas among the CROWN
corn and cotton is Il GOOD practice, bu
in neither case does the pea crop eve
make Il heavy growth. TO get The hes
results some other rotation has to b
sctu even if it requires the sowin
OF peas along on :hc lands orcc il
three years. Where only cotton an,
corn are grown 1t would pay 10 adoD
a tWo-year rotation and alternate bet
corn and cotton with peas. 1t Nigh
reduce the acreage of corn and cotton
but it would soon result in larger croD
OF each and permanent Improvement
OF the land. We should like 10 hca
more about the use OF velvet beans, i
any OF our readers have tried them.
!