The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-09-11
Winter Cover Crops.

plant food into the streams and rivers
of the Southern States every year
than Is utilized i'm the growing of all
of our crops. When we realize that
the cotton crop with it's by-products
is worth Approximately $SOO,O00,OO0,
1t will give some idea Of the enor-
nous. drain on soil fertility which is
constantly going on. How to remedy
in some measure this condition is
matter of universal concern The
best means Of achieving the desired
end is to utilize winter cover crops
OF course, the cereals would be in
cluded under this heading, but as
they are more or less familiar TO ALL
II has been deemed best in this paper
20 call specific attention to two crops
which may be utilized admirably for
cover in the winter and made TO en-
rich the soil by gathering nitrogen
rom the air and furnishing much
needed paturage during the winter,
and Yielding fine quality of hay the
next spring. Reference is made espe-
cially to crimson clover and the
vetches.
There are two varieties OF crimson
clover-the crimson blooming and the
white blooming. The white blooming
is later i'm maturing and makes q
larger and more vigorous growth, and
IS probably more desirable for hay
and forage than the crimson bloom
ng. Where crimson clover is grown
as a cover crop and turned under tha
land Will he benefited about as much
as from a heavy application oG farm
yard manure Farmers do not realize
this or they would utilize crimson
clover more extensively, especially in
1hose sections where live stock grow
ing is inadequately developed, and
farmyard manure and compost can
not he had. Crimson clover should
He seeded at the rate of Is to 90
pounds per acre in early August or
September, and it may often be sown
in corn at the last working, though
the best results viii probably follow
sowing the crop after the corn has
been cut and shocked. Crimson Glow
er may be seeded on any land that
has been well prepared. and the seed
should be covered lightly with har-
row.
AS 10 fertilizers. but little nitrogen
Will be needed, not over I TO > pc,
cont to start the crop, but phosphates
and potash should be used literally;
at least 200 pounds OF acid phosphate
and 100 to $50 pounds OF muriatc os
potash. or 100 to 500 pounds OF kainit
Where the mineral clemens are APP
results will generally follow. and if it
is d0sired To- cut the crop for hay, q
yield OF from LIS to 20 tons may be
expected. \ mixed fertilizer used OF
crimson clover should generally con-
tain about 1 per cent o. nitrogen, :
to per cent of phosphOric acid and
to 10 per cent of potash.
The vetch is admirably adapted for
growth In practically ell sections of
the South and may he seeded any
time after August /. 1t is best sown
on land that has been we'll prepared.
1t may not always be necessary to
break the land: that depends much
on the crop which is to follow. 1t
can. of course, come after cowpeas or
any other legume grown during the
summer, or it may be used on stub
BILE land or seeded in corn or cotton.
This crop may often be sown to ad-
| vantage with oats or rye and forms
an admirable pasture during the sum-
mer. and cnriches the soil materially
| wocn ploWod under in the early
! arrirg or makes flne quality o. hay.
The advantage Of sowing with ce-
| reals is found i'm the fact that the
vetch climbs readily on the stalks and
! can be cut with greater ease on that
account. At least 90 pounds Of well
| cleaned vetch seed should be used per
| acre with one bushel of oats.
, There are two kinds OF Vctch--the
| winter or hairy vctch, which is hardy
and satisfactory i'm most localities. II
and winter. The English or oregon
! vetch, which also may be sowr in the
fall, develops much faster than the
hairy vetch and furnishes grazing i'm
the fall and early Minter hnt IL il