The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1906-09-24


your valuable paper" writes ]. A. Was
son, Marie Miss, what kind of legume
to plant In my cotton to give good win
ter pasture? Would you advise plant
ing beardless rye or vetch? The land
is black. and sandy loan and fresh. /
also have some land sowed in peas and
want to plant 1t to some kind of clo-
yer. What kind would you recommend
planting after the peas are orr This
letter and a number like 1t show which
way the thought Of our best farmers
Isl tending. fgr
1t would seem to be self evident that
II is better to use for winter pasture
something that will improve the soil
In addition to supplying pasture. Either
bur clover or hairy vetch will do this
very well. The vetch vines would be
hard to pillow under unless a disc pillow
or rolling coulter is used Either vetch
or bur clover will mature their seed
early in May and be out of the way for
the next crop. Bur clover has been
used very successfully by leaving a
narrow strip standing to furnish seed
for the following year. These strips
may be a rod apart With such man
agement the field will need to be seed
ed only the first fall Possibly vetch
could be managed the same way, but
the vines that were growing on the
narrow strip that was not plowed under
would probably cause some some trou-
BILE This is a matter Of which It. would
be interesting to receive a report from
someone who has had actual experience.
II 1T Is desired to get hay crop. bur
clover Will not answer. Vetch Will not
stand up so as to be moved easily II
hplanted alone and should be sowed with
oats to make moving easier. The hay
secured from oats and vetch is thought
by many to be superior to hay produced
by either plant alone,
If one desires a hay crop from one
of the clovers to occupy rich land two
years, red clover will do on almost any
type of well drained soil with the ex-
ception of some of the piney woods
lands. White clover will not do for
hay, but is good to lengthen the season
of pasturage. All should experiment
in small way with alfalfa when con-
ditions are favorable A preceding
favorable condition. These statements
about hay are In reply to one set OF
questions.
To return to the matter of legumes
for winter pasturage, II should be noted
that a winter crop will keep the land
from washing--something that every
good farmer will strive for. All the
legumes send their roots deep into the
soil, opening up the ground for other
crops and making the land more re-
sistant to drouth. This loosening of
the soil and the supplying of 1t with
atmospheric nitrogen are very strong
recommendations for substituting
winter legume for some other pasture
plant wherever practical. The present
fertility of the soil must be retained;
then why not have a crop to protect the
soil during the heavy rains of the win
ter season? While selecting a crop for
this purpose why not select one that
will make the land rich in nitrogen, the
most expensive fertilizing element the
farmer has to buy7 1t is the element
necessary in all soils to make a rapid
growth.
The Gazette solicits the experience of
all those who have used winter grow
ing legumes for the purposes mention
ed
In reply to another set OF questions.
It may be said; rye will furnish a large
quantity of winter pasture, II pasture
is the main thing desired; but 1t would
be better to use more land II necessary
and SOW a legume to improve the soil.
It Is Just as impossible to take from the
soil all the time without doing any
thing to increase its richness as It Is to
draw continually from a bank account
without ever increasing the deposit.
Good farming means making soil fer
tility quite as much as making crops.
--snutbsrn Farm Gazette.