The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-06-11

Il
Green Manurial Crops.
The best time to begin with green
manurial crops for plowing under Is
as soon as the ground can be worked.
as 1t is then possible to grow two
crops during the year. II is custom
airy with some to sow rye CT crimson
clover In the fall. to be turned under
in spring, but the mistake made is
in not following with another green
nanurial crop. whenever possible by
which method three crops can be
p!owed under In twelve months,
though the rule Is only two crops.
Farmers, however, are not partial to
losing a years time without some re-
turn in the form of a crop that can be
harvested, for which reason they plow
the crimson clover under the plant
corn, or follow the rye with a potato
ciop.
AS crimson clover adds large
amount of nitrogen to the soil when
plowed under It is really a salable
crop, the farmer providing home
market therefor as II saves him the
cost of the same amount of nitrogen
in commercial fertilizers that he
might be compelled to purchase, and
although the corn crop brings cash.
yet the the crop takes from the soil
the fertility thereof, and the gain may
not really be as large as supposed
when the receipts and expenses are
compared, especially IL the soil Is not
fertile. as It costs more to grow corn
on poor soil than on that which Is
fertile, owing to the larger yield on
rich soil reducing the cost per bushel
of corn, the proportlonate outlay for
labor being less.
Crimson clover should be plowed un-
der when the plants are in blossom,
and Just beginning to ripen the seeds.
for then the crop contains the largest
amount of nitrogen. for the longer
it can be continued into the warm sea
son before cutting or plowing 1t the
greater the advantage for the bacteria
to work on the roots. II plowed un-
der, and the ground seeded to cow
peas, another nitrogen.gathering crop
can be plowed under, and II the cow
peas grow rapidly there may yet be
another; but as the land should again
be seeded to crimson clover in August.
1t is better to turn under a single
heavy growth of COW peas. though IL
crimson clover is not desired there
may be a second crop of COW peas,
which should be followed by rye in
late fall
The decomposition of so much green
material in the soil will result in the
disengagement of considerable car
bonic acid. which will also exert some
chemical effect ON the inert plant
foods of the soil, thus increasing the
proportion of available mineral mat
ter. but some soils may be rendered
sour; hence the use of lime, late in
the fall, when narrowing for the latest
crop seeded, will he an advantage, as
1t will neutralize the acid of the soil
and assist in putting it in better con-
dition for the work of bacteria the fol-
lowing summer.
In some experiments made 1t was
found that lime did not increase the
yield of seeds or vines of COW peas,
but such results may be due to the fact
that lime acts slowly, and that where
such soils were lined better results
will be obtained another season. Some
of the advantages gained are the ac'
cumulation of nitrogen in the soil, the
rendering soluble of unavailable min
cral matter, the protection OF the SOIL
with covered crops, the addition OF
large amounts of humus-forming ma
terial to the land, and the mechanical
changes in the soil. The only disad-
vantage Is the loss OF the land upon
which q marketable crop can be grown
during the year, its value depending
upon the kind of crop and the capacity
OF the soil.
Among the other green crops that
are seldom used may be mentioned
corn, millet. turnips, rape, sorghum,
soy beans, etc. but the crimson clover
and cow-pea crops are preferred. II
is claimed that turnips, by reason OF
their deep penetrating roots, appro-
pirate a large proportion OF the min
eral elements of the subsoil, which are
brought to the surface when they are
plowed under. thus following cow-peas
as an aid in increasing the amount OF
available mineral matter, but the
nitrogen from the cow'peas is a clear
gain to the farmer, being derived from
the atmosphere, while the mineral
matter is taken from the lower por-
tlons of the land and brought within
las reach. Any method, however, that
renders the plant foods in the soil
more available should he adopted
phtIadalnhto Rpcord