The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-04-29
Farm Miscellany.
THE COW PEA: ITS PLACE AND VALUE
ON THE Farm.

VoES1by VI AObAOSSOOS al OOO0SOAO
correspondent of THE PROGRESSIVE
FARMER, has in a recent Issue of the
Breeders Gazette q very instructive
article upon the above named sub
ject. Says Prof. Soule:
In travelling across the country in
a railroad train or in driving along
the country roads, one is impressed
with the fact that much of the titled
land is unworthy of cultivation If
the crops produced on it may be taken
as a guide. But on second thought
this does not seem possible, for on
contiguous farms where the soil, the
lay of the land and external condi-
ton are practically the. same, one
finds excellent crops by the side of
every inferior one. This. leads to
the belief that on many farms the
land has been worm out by a lack of
proper rotation of crops and by the
fallacy of continuous corn and wheat
culture, until it has become sick, as
it were, and exhausted of available
plant food.
On a closer inspection of these
worn-out soils one is impressed with
their poor mechanical condition.
They are devoid of what is known as
good texture, they lack friRbility
and fiber, they are hard and compact,
and the particles of which they are
composed are 30 closely run together
that is Is difficult for water and air
TO sink into them or move freely
through them, or for the roots of
plants 80 penetrate deep enough TO
escape the effects of a severe drought.
Examining virgin soils of similar
origin that may be found at more or
less remote distances from these
fields, they are found TO possess all
the characteristics in which the oul-
tivated soils of long standing r de-
foient. As is we'll known, all virgin
soils contain more or less humus or
vegetable matter, whether they are
OF prairie or woodland origin. This
is due TO the accumulation through
many years of the deoaying grass on
one hand and of the leaves and stems
of trees on the other. Is 10 also
known that these virgin soils when
kept in corn and wheat for a number
of years rapidly acquire the Objeo,
tionRble conditions of the cultivated
lands mentioned. Even on the rich
est of the prairie soils once SO abund
antly supplied with h1mus, q marked
decrease in productive capacity has
teen noted in recent years. This
leads TO the belief that the exhaus-
ton of the humus has been one of
the chief reasons of their rapid decad-
ence, and in fact, further therefore,
and especially so markedly deficient
in humus as those of the South, the
first step towards proof of it's rela
ton to soil fertility is not needed.
With the problem of an exhausted
soil before us, their restoration must
be the Incorporation of this element
in some cheap and practical way.
With this object in view, the Agricul
tural Department. of this Station il
conducting a series of experiment. in
blowing under green crops for the
purpose of studying their effect on
the mechanical condition of the coil.
The results obtained are very graft
tying indeed and indicate that this
method of treatment will quickly
give the soils that character of filth
desirable. The method of blowing
under green crops for this purpose
commends itself for the reason
First. That it is the only effective
means that can be employed unless
it would by the use of barn yard ma
nure. This is impracticable because
of the immense quantity it would
require and the difficulty of obtain
ing the same. Second. Southern
farmers can better afford TO pillow
under green crops than those in
many other States, because iii COM
paratively easy for them TO secure
two crops a year on the same land,
one TO pillow under and one for feed.
Third. By the use of certain crops
the nitrogen supply of the soil can
be materially increased. Fourth
The effect of a green crop will be ap
parent from two to four years, And
hence the operation does not need to
be repeated annually.
1t has been urged by some that