The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1904-07-29
Che farm and Grove.
-obW1gNEEH y RHTaI PTFJJ 9yHait0Il
Il. E. STOCKBRIDGE. PHI. D.. Editor.

! amount Ol our summer ram JtDu II
! The growth Of excessive masses o
| vegetation in all our cultivated field
and in groves and orchards, rs 500
us summer cultivation stops. Mucl
Of this vegetation is of the kind o
/ plants which take nitrogen from tn,
air, and the growth of which en-
riches the soil. All contain thctma
trrials taken from the soil, ant
therefore consist of plaut-food which
| it is an advantage to restore to thu
soil from which it was taken. The
question of how this may be mos
advantageOusly accomplished is
| therefore, u most important one.
AS matter Of fact green manur
| ing us practiced by the best south,
ern farmers and Orchardists is mis-
homer, since we have learned thai
| our soils are benefited by a cover.
ing of vegetation during the heat OF
summer. The principles underlying
our most successful practice are well
worth little attention.
! The objects of blowing under green
crops are well understood. 1t is
therefore, sufficient to incidentally
remind the reader that the main OBJ.
| ject, the improving of the condition
of the soil, is furthered in two ways
by this practice. First, the decom.
position of the plowed-in crop adds
to the soil just the material compo-
sing this crop, and increases its
fertility to that amount. Second
the physical condition Of the soil i,
necessarily influenced by the pres.
tnce of this vegetable matter. PO
rosity and waterholding power are
the properties chiefly affected.
The time for performing this oper.
alton may have the most vital intlu-
ence on results. In the north this is
of comparatively little Importance
but in the warmer portions of the
country, the blowing in of rank
crop of vegetation during hot wealth.
ar is almost certain to result in very
serious injury to the soil.
The warmer the temperature the
more rapid decay takes place.
Among the products of the decay OF
the vegetation are several organic
acids, the presence of which in the
soil in considerable quantities results
in an acid condition, which. may eX-
tend it's injurious effects to the point
of making the soil temporarily &C
tually sterile. In view of these
facts, southern farmers have learned
to defer the blowing under of green
crops till cool weather. Under GER
tain conditions, where circum-
stances seem to make it necessary to
plOw the crop under during warm
weather, it would certainly be an
advantage to follow the pillow with
an application of lime. A half ton
per acre strewn in the furrow would
be equivalent to double this quantity
applied broadcast.
Another point on which common
practice might be materially i'm
proved is that of the depth of the
blowing, or turning under. The
chief object Of the process being to
incorporate the vegetable matter
with the soil, it is somewhat strange
that so much of the blowing only
partly accomplishes this. a large
part of the crop is left but half Gov
cred, lying on the surface, exposed
to the weather.
If it is II good thing to pillow under
green crops, it would seem to be IA
tiOnal that the larger the crop, or the
larger the part OF the crop, plOwed
IN the greater the proportional bene-
hts. The cause OF much OF this in
ferlor plowlng Is doubtless the result
of the Unborn fear of the southern
farmer of deep blowing This fear,
however, is gradually disappearing,
and with the extended use of the disk
pillow, will certainly entirely diSap-
pear. This Implement is not only
overcoming the distrust of deep plow-
ing, but is the implement par excel
lence for turning under masses of
vegetation. The popularity of its
action, which has overcome the sup
posed disadvantages of deep blowing,
being the fact that the disk does not
turn up the soil from the bottom of
the furrow, but mixes all the soil of
the furrow together. This same
process thoroughly incorporates the
vegetable matter pIOwed under, with
the entire mass OF plowed soil thus
increasing the action OF
the good results of the method.
Another point often overlooked by
those who practice green manuring
IS lhe lact that' though the crop
Dlowed under returns to the SOIL all
the material (which it is composed,
HE mineral portion OF tins material
was actually taken from the soil.
Returning this material to the soil,
therefore, only restores what was
.ost. so lar as TINS class OF plant
oOd Is concerned, the SOIL fertility
'esult of physical improvements, or
he change of place, or depth of the
original SOL materials. On the other
lahd all the organic portion OF the