The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-06-14
SOIL IMPROVING CROPS.
lnoeuiation, Ete.-Mr. Buell. Gives
More Valuable Information on
FARMING Subjects.

More Valuable information on
Farming Subjects.
Ste shord County, Va, June : 1904.
10 The Free Lance.
When land gets 30 run down that 10
will not produce more thsn iour bblr. oi
corn per acre people should begin % take
q lively interest in every crop which can
be called a soil producer We have a
good many coil improving crops about
which we KNOW too little. We have COW
peas. sofa beans. velvet beans. alfalfa,
crimson clover. Japan clover aud al the
rect OF the rloyers. Almost any plant
which belongs 10 the clover OF pod
forming family when sOwn under proper
conditions will improve the sOll ON which
itgrows What IA variety 10 choose from.
All Of these crops improve the land alter
continuous corn eropping-some oi
these ARE valuable winter clover crops
Any Of them Bre vastly superior 10 the
perniciour practice Of resting land by
leaving IL bare aud sunburned. or 10
grow up In pines And brisrs. All oi
them will produce strong nOurlshing
pod which will iAtten your horses and
cattle with the aid OF very little grain.
Alfalfa clover Il n God send. 10 sections
Of the county where II hss been well in-
troduced and grown successfully you can
hardly buy land for twice what you
could before the alfalfa was Introduced.
How would IL DO for Our iarmer- ~ this
vicinity 70 try the experiment oi plant
lng An acre or two 10 Alfalfa since those
lew who have tried il are undertaking
in their praise Of the crop?
A good field of alfalfa means no plow-
ing, no planting, no enitivaung, no mar
vesting. bot good crop Of hsy and
steady improvement of the land a. long
A. thus cared for. which means from five
20 twenty YEAR,. while some heljs oi
alfalfa in this country have ben pro
duc.ng good crops for much longer
period. Those v no find the labor prob
lem hard 10 solve should consider the
alfalfa question seriously. lbe south
ern Planter for Jolly vii be specially
devoted 10 alfalfa and should be ~ the
hands Of every southern iarmer u II
month"; tArm urnal containing about
sixty-fve pages OF exceptionally We'll
edited and valuable matter. IL II easily
worth ten times its eOst, which j. hiiy
cents for twelve number snhscrip-
tion now would bring the July number
on alfalfa. Anyone wishing TO subscribe
sill send bic name and 81 cents u box
2lj. Fredsricksburg. | will send In the
subscription 81 the club rate Of 33- cents
per year.
But going back TO soil improving crops
therr II one thing that must be rsmem-
bered: / 2 every one Of the sRid imprOy-
ing crops will rob the coil INSTEAD oi ed
riching IL II those little bAlls called no
dulles are not growing on the roots OF
the plant. IL is the virtue OF these no
duls- that enables the plant 10 take
nitrogen from the air and lesve IL IN the
soil for the benefit Of future crops Now
IL il impossible for these nod ules 20 grow
on the roots unless there IL 10 the coil n
special kind Of germ or bacteria OF which
there 10 q species peculiar 70 almo.tevery
coil improving crop. Therefore, when
you plant a soil improving crop that has
not been grown on the land within siew
years previously, We simply invite iail-
ure II we DO not COW also the special bac-
terra belonging 10 the plant.
This IL easily done. Sometimes the
bacteria will be present IN the duet ad-
herring TO the seed. but this is not GER
tsinty.
A postal-card addressed to the Bureau
Of Plant Industry, or 10 the Secretary OF
Agriculture. Washington, u. C.. will
bring you this bacteria for Any sOil i'm
proving crop and instructions Tor their
use. IL doesn't cost bot q cent and Il
makes the business certain; without max
ing sure Of the presence OF these bacteria
one l. not only inviting failure Tor him.
ssH. but be is doing the coil improving
crop Cd Injustice ss well a. the agrieul-
tural community in general; iCr the
chances are strong that be will produce
bot a poor, yellow looking crop He
will not improve bis soil. He viii re-
eeive the adverse criticism Of his neigh
bors and probably cause them 10 delay
their planting OF soil enriching crops. /
once knew German professor who i'm
ported come seed OF new variety OF
bean from Europe and planted part OF
them in his garden. The result wa a.
most total failure, but be knew bis busi-
meas BY the next year be had sent Tor
some OF the bacteria belonging ~ the
bean and planted the remainder I The
beans in inOculsted soil. The result vac
a rank growth and heavy yield. This
vas several years ago when inoe1lstion
for od.iorming crops was in its iAiAncy.
IL is not at all necessary, as some sup
pose. to turn your crop under az ial-
low. IL is too valuable az sfOod. Keep
more stock and keep them fat on your
pea. bean and clover hays Then return
the manure to the fields. Don't let il se
cumulate and waste around the barn
until il il almost impossible to get your
animals In and out under the caves.
IL doesn' seem possible that the Great
AIl.Father intends man 70 be scramblo og
No and down 90 many steep bill sldes IN
Stafford county, Va. when they would
make such ideal sheep and eat. lie pas
lures. A little pea or besD hay will 20
a great way toward keeping profitable
fcck OF sheep all winter. A wire grass
pasture will do its part IN summer. You
say the dogs will ill them out?
There is q way 20 prevent that.
Where there's 8 will there's way" At
night pot the sheep up in dog proof,
well bedded paddock, and let them be
making some good manure for the gar
den. During the day you can turn them
ost with little danger from dogs.