Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-10-01
WINTER COVER CROPS.
Prevent Lsaehing Of TIA Soil BY

Rain.
One of the most important crops
for the people of South Carolina Is
the winter cover crop. They prevent
teaching and when turned under add
humus to the soil. The legumes, Glow
er and vetch. store plant food in the
soil during the winter as the peas do
In summer. In the sand hills where
winter cover crops are turned under
the soil will not leach and turn the
crop yellow in spots. In the Piedmont
section wide stretches of soil will not
be washed away by the spring rains
where humus has been put In the
soil by turning under O winter cover
crop in the spring. This was proved
very forcibly in many places through
out the state this year. Where win
ter cover crops were turned under
the past spring the soil did not leach
or wash away as 1t did where the soil
was left bare during the winter and
nothing turned under In the spring.
Nothing helps a crop to resist q
drought like winter cover crop turn
ed under before planting. For these
crops I would recommend rye, GRIM
son clover and vetch.
Rye.
Rye is one Of the best winter cover
crops. but 1t does not add plant food
to the soil In the form Of nitrogen.
except what Is stored In the plant
and turned under. Most people know
how to sow rye. It can be sown dur
ing any month and make q successful
cover crop up to the first Of Decem-
ber. It can also be sown in corn or
cotton early In the fall. II sown ear
ly 1t will make a better growth, hence
of more value as a cover crop. One
of the best kinds Of rye, especially for
the sandy lands, is Abruzzes, which
was imported by the agricultural de-
partment. Pure seed Of this appears
to give better results than any other.
Glover and vsteh.
Preparation Of the land: A good
seed bed Is necessary for these crops.
The land should be plowed and thor
oughly pulverized with o tooth har-
row and for the Improvement Of the
land 1t is best to turn 1t q few inches
deeper than It has been previously
plowed, but when the land has been
turned In order to prepare It, II good
rains do not intervene between the
preparation Of the land and the sowing
Of the seed, a roller should be used to
firm the seed bed.
Glover and vetch can both be sown
In corn and cotton at this season Of
the year. If the fields are fairly clean,
sow the seed broadcast and run a har-
row or sweep through the middle. We
have seen some good crops grown this
way in the past winter. II pea stub
BILE is to be used for sowing clover or
vetch 1t can be thoroughly pulverized
with q cut-a-away harrow and q tooth
harrow and will probably make q bet
ter crop without being turned.
Fertilizers.
The best fertilizer for clover or
vetch Is stable manure. II 1t should
be we'll rotted and applied some time
previous to sowing the seed. II the best
results are to be secured, 800 to 400
pounds, Of acid phosphate, 16 per cent
acid and per cent pots h, called q
1874 acid, per acre should be applied
at the time of sowing the seed. II the
land seems to be at all sour, In
nearly all cases, lime is beneficial, us-
ing one ton Of agricultural lime, or
1000 pounds, Of air sleek lime per
acre. The best time to SOW the seed
for crimson clover is as early in the
fall as it can be sown without the hot
sun killing the young plants. In the
lower section Of the state 1t ts general
ly best not to SOW until the LIST Of
September. Vetch can be sown with
good results almost any month from
the 1st of September to December LIST.
incubation.
One of the most important require
ments for crimson clover and vetch Is
that the soil should be inoculated. In
the FleuIlOuI ScCllOh VI thO oeosS See-
BILE manure very often furnishes SUM-
cient incubation for a sure crop, out
the surest plan is to inoculate the soil
and one Of the best ways to do this is
by securing soil from some field where
a crop Of the kind to be planted has
been grown successfully. The more
soil the better.
The department Of agriculture Will
also furnish incubation which %nen
directions are carefully followed hlve
given good results. Some companies
also sell inoculated seed. These, be-
Iieve, In some instances, have been an
advantage. 1t might be well to use all
three of these methods.
Amount Of Seed.
About 20 pounds Of crimson clover
seed should be sown per acre and 20
to 80 pounds Of vetch seed. 1t Is q
good plan also to sow with the vetch
seed some rye. The seed should be
sown broadcast and lightly pushed In,
using nothing heavier than q tooth
harrow. Ira w. Williams,
State Agent Farmers Cooperative
Demonstration Work, Columbia, s. G.
Safe Either Way.-An Elk county
citizen who has just graduated from
ax, ,.Lool .yrofa fo nr0pninpnt law.