The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-31
Agricultural Department
CONDUCTED BY FULTON s. WHITE.

i. readers know what l think or IL. It IS | a hardy plant thrives under adverse con- ditions. grows in all countries and on all I soils so that it deserves place on all I farms. The old turned out fields can be made to produce fine rye for pasture It 1 ahould be sown in all the cotton and corn | erops where 1t not only furnishes after l these crops are harvested fine pasture
 but 1t holds the soil in place and pre-
 vents it's washing during the winter sea l son It also holds the plant foods in the
 soil preventing them from teaching out 1 by our hard rains which are eohiiiioh III l the winter.
 l Sow the rye at the rate of one bushel
 per acre just ahead of the last blowing 1 of the cotton or corn and let thls last | blowing blow it in. Should the weather
 become dry and kill this first sowing which hardly ever occurs, SOW aga1n Tn l September Where a good stand is se- cured from this early sowing, which IS almost sure to be the result, in Septem- Der watch for good showers of rain and | just ahead of these rains SOW on top or 1 the rye twety-fve pounds of fresh, pure 1 crimson clover seed. This Will add | much 10 the value of the pasture. but in this case the stock should be kept ofr until the clover gets good start. Where quick pasture is wanted 1t would be well to provide a field of rye without the clover and another with the clover for Ia ter pasture. The clover will not only furnish fine pasture, but will help to en- rich the soil.
 This can be pastured through winter and early spring up to the time for plant ing other crops, then turn both the rye and clover under for green fertilizer or
 for restoring to the soil the much need ed humus. This combination will give
 the cheapest quickest and most profit able winter grazing. Yet there are many other forage plants that may also be
 used to good advantage and profit
 Winter Barley. Now I regard this as the next best plant
 after rye for winter pasture. Many farm
 CTS even contend that barley is even bet ter and I have no objection to their thinking so. but my experience is that there Is nothing so sure and so profitable for all conditions considered as rye. Winter barley may be sown the same as winter rye, and the crimson clover may be sown with it also, the same way as de- scribed for rye. The main thing is to SOW either one or both.
 Winter Oats and Vetch. Here Is another good combination for winter pasture. But oats and vetch re- quire a much better soil than Is needed for the rye or barley. The vetch will not grow on thin soil as barley but oats will not, and they must have a better soil in order for them to prove success. I should much prefer the barley and in- stead of oats SOW the vetch with winter barley. Tn fact, would advise the drop ping of the oat crop entirely out of the TO- tation of crops in most of our southern states and substitute winter barley, which is far more profitable and much surer crop.
 Glover and Grasses.
 We have many clovers and grasses
 which will also furnish us pasture for tho
 fall, winter and spring, such as alfalfa,
 mellotus. white Japan and burr clover Bermuda, orchard. English blue grass and Italian rye grass. but 1t will require more time and far different treatment of the soil in order to grow these. Those who are interested in this line of clovers and grasses should send for my bulletin on alfalfa, which will cover the whole ground
 of soil preparation for these plants as
 well as how to successfully grow them. These books are free.
 Now in conclusion I want to say again
 to our readers do not neglect again so important a matter as this, but try some
 of these plants and see how valuable they will prove and also note how much cheap
 CT you can keep and grow stock by using them.
 If further information is wanted on any of these plants or on any other agricul- tural lines, let us know your wants through these columns, which are always
 open to our readers.