The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-04-15

In other words, in 1901 Il cosg O0.6 cents
/ per bRShel TO raise the crop. IL IS = notice
| able fact that the yield per acre has gradually
/ decreased on this field. The appearance OF
| the soil has been changed. II IS eiAy'sh,
| white color. eomparpd 10 the rich black color
Of the adioininE rotated fields. The yield
I varies With the season, bnt is less thar half
that Of rotated fields or the ordinary hslds Of
| The siatioa farm. With similar original condi
! tons Of soil fertility.
There Is a marked similarity between these
/ results and the resaliz Of conkinaoUS wheat
growing for 50 years on tbs bFoadhaik heids
Of the f.zses 4 Gilbert experimental farm ia
| England. Continues cropping and taking the
| crop Of the Geld exhAasts the fertility Of the
soil, and il has been foand that soils 80 treated
arr very di:ieali TO bring back 10 their oslgl-
nal state Of fersiliiy. The mechanical As Sei'
a. the chemical condition oi The sosI Is chang
ed. and il requires many ysArs OF careful aud
expensive treatment 10 renew soil pFeauctiTe-
ness. This is found 20 be the case IN ordinary
practice, and the problem before every corn
grower Is 20 keep up the fertility OF the soli,
so that il will continue TO prodaee profitable
corn crops
There are several practical tus'hods for sc
eamplishing the deSifed results. ~hich vail Be
treated briefly Ia ihia discusSiun.
One Of the most important says Of geisipg
the soil in good condition for The coru crop q
by means of the legaminons or cover crops
r e.. COW peas, SOY beans, clover and alfalfa
The soy heaa and cos pea crops have been
found to be specially beneficial TO the sosl.
valuable a. food. and successfully gro~n ander
widely differing conditions. la llhaois aad
Missouri the crops grown in the heIds for a
single year have been ioaai 20 increase the
Weld OF corn from 20 Is bushels per acre.
The kAy has been found 10 he al least as
valuable as ordinary red clover hay. and the
crop Is harvested in much the sane way. As
ihe land becomes more and more exhausted.
il becomes more difficult and expensive 10
secure a stand Of ordinary red clever. Where
alfalfa can be grown. this crop ts very valuable
for preparing the soil for corn In most sea
sons coz peas and soy peas drilled between
the rows of cora. issi after the last cultivation,
give good results, These crops Sill produce
IRON To p tons OF hay per acre. and sill ia.
crease the fertility Of the soil. Where shr
soil is rich prairie loan, ihr soy bean Is more
successful than the cos pea. On such rich
soils the SOW pea runs TO vines and does not
mature a seed crop. II IS in such soils the SOY
bean gives the best resali. The rich soils siim
uIaie the production OF plant snd seed, aud
the crop becomes increasingly valuable The
soy bean is easily harvested, bat great care
must be taken 20 secure good seed.
Ifthe coser crops are grown and rotated
with corn, and the crops taken from the helds.
the soil will eventually become exhausted.
The Iexuminous crops add 10 the supply Of
nitrogen In the soil, but they do not add she
other elements Of fertility, particularly potash
and phosphorous With continuous cropping
Of any kind, the fertility is bound TO run out
eventually. The only way by which corn
growers can continue TO grow profitable crops
S By feeding the cora and bay crops TO live
stock aud returning the manure TO the soil.
There is no fertilizer so valuable as barnyard
manure, and il is only BY the careful eonser-
walton Of the manure from the cora and other
crops fed to live stock, and its iudicious
application TO the fields. that the soils will
continue 10 nroduee profitAble corn crops.