Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-06-14
FARM AND GARDEN.


Cow-Horn Turnips and the Soil.
Glover has been the standard crop for
green-inanuring purposes. 1t has be-
come generally recognized that if far
mer can get good stand of clover, and
can occasionally pillow under the second
growth, the land can be maintained in a
fairly good state of fertility. Glover has
been selected as the plant for soil-restor-
ing purposes because it Is one of that
class of plants, the legumes, which pos
sesses the power of drawing upon the
nitrogen of the atmosphere and of storing
1t up in it's structure. Recently COW
peas, soy beans and Canada field peas
are being used for the same purpose.
Evidence has been accumulated which
shows that the value of crop for green
manuring does not lie entirely in the
power of the crop to bring nitrogen to
the soil, for frequently it Is organic
matter, or humus, which is needed by
the soil more than nitrogen. Clover is at
best somewhat particular crop, and it
has been found that where clover can be
grown the soil must be already in fair
state of fertility. There has been
demand for some crops which would
grow where clover would not; for some
thing which would restore organic mat
ter to the soil and so improve its physi-
cal condition that clover could be grown
successfully.
In searching for some vigorous plants
which would grow under adverse con-
ditions, Mr.. Seeds of Pennsylvania found
that the cow-horn turnip would give him
the desired results. There has recently
been considerable discussion through the
columns of the Country Gentleman as to
the real value of these turnips for soil
renovating purposes. Without doubt,
there are many who have the same
opinion as expressed by our present
correspondent. They cannot understand
how plant which is not a legume can
be a soil-restorer.
A soil renovator may be defined as a
plant which brings additional plant food
to the soil Gas the legumes), or one which
makes more available the plant food
which is already In the soil. The cow
horn turnip is included in the latter
class. 1t is prominently digester of
coarse plant food, especially of "lazy"
phosphoric acid, and having digested the
coarse food, where the plants are plowed
under and decay, they quickly give up to
the soil the elements of which they are
composed. The 'lazy" phosphoric acid
which entered into the structure of the
turnips has been made available for sue
ceeding plants, organic matter has been
added to the soil, and both chemically
and physically the soil conditions have
been improved.
Not only does the cow-horn turnip i'm
prove the soil in the ways above men
toned, but it is long rooted plant,
and in sending its root deeply into the
soil it brings to the surface some of the
plant-foOd from the sub.surface soil; it
opens channels into the soil which, when
the turnips decay, permit of air drainage.
Other members of the same family as
the turnip (Cruciferae) possess the power
Of feeding upon ''lazy" phosphoric acid.
This is one reason why the cultivation of
rape as forage and greep-manuring
plant has recently come into popular
favor. / send you photograph of rape
plants growing in pure sand, containing
no phosphoric acid except that which
was supplied in the fertilizer. All boxes
were treated alike as 10 lne nature anu
quality of plantfood applied, except as
to the source of the phosphorlc acid.
The box marked Floats" contains its
phosphoric acid In the 'lazy' form; yet
the rape plants have grown there as well,
apparently, as in the other boxes where
quickly available phosphorc acid was
applied. For the purpose of comparison
and showing why a crucifer, as rape or
turnips, may prove of value where clover
would fail, we show in fig. some boxes
of clover grown under the same condi-
lions as the rape. 1t will be noticed that
clover cannot feed upon the "lazy" phos-
phoric acid of the Floats" and thus in
soil where rape or turnips might thrive,
clover might fail.
l believe Mr.. Seeds is on the right
track. If clover will not grow, some
other, more hardy plant should be used,
and for this purpose the cow-horn turnip
or rape seems well adapted. P. r. In
Country Gentleman.