The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-09-21
A WINTER COVER CROP.
The Way TO Secure Winter Pasture
and Improve Ii.

l ihe way 10 secure winter Pasture
| and Improve 1t.
The farmer who does not try tc
get all he can out Of his land annual.
ly and yet leave it in condition t,
yield more the following season has
mistaken his vocation.
| One way to do this is to plant cow
peas in the corn at the time Of the
last CIVILIZATIONS; harvest the corn in
September and pasture the cowpeas
in October. Early in November deer
break and plant to rye, using about
one bushel per acre. Our reasons
for preferring rye are the follow
ing:
l. 1t Is hardy. 1t will germinate
and make a stand when other grains
fail. Oats and barley will winter kill
when rye will remain practically un-
injured by the frost. 1t stands tramp
ing and grazing better than other
( grains.
l 2. 1t takes kindly to poor soils
which is an important factor on most
lands.
Where hairy vetch will succeed
the addition Of peck Of vetch seed
to bushel of rye is an improve
ment
Where there is no boil weevil in
festation, rye or rye and vetch may
be planted between the crops of
cotton in October. and not later
than the first Of November. 1t Is
better to use a narrow drill In plant
ing, but where farmers do not have
this the seed may be sown by hand
and cultivated or narrowed in.
| Crimson Clover.
On lands adapted to It, crimson
clover sown in the corn at the last
working has given excellent results
About Is pounds to the acre Is gen
orally used and by the first Of the
following April 1t furnishes a cut
ting Of 1 1-2 to 1-2 tons of cured
hay or, turned under, adds a great
body OF manure to the soil. The ter.
ritory In which the crimson clover
thrives best appears to be from the
latitude of the northern portion o
the Gulf States to the latitude Of the
Ohio River.
Oats or barley do we'll some win.
4
nish a large amount Of winter graz
Ing and considerable humus fol
plowing under in the spring.
Facts About a Winter Cover Crop
L. A winter cover crop largely
prevents loss of soil fertility by wash.
Ing (erosion); some lands suffe,
greater loss than others by washing
but all lands are more or less injured
by It.
2. Soil without cover loses consi.
derable fertility by evaporation dur
ing the fall and winter. A winter
crop reduces this loss to a negligible
quantity.
3. Such crops. to some extent
prevent the seeding Of the land tc
foul weeds
4. They increase the porositv Of
the soil. and add the humus so es-
sential to fertility.
o. They make a valuable cror
while the lands would otherwise he
idle, which is a net gain to the land
We must increase the vegetable mat
ter in the soil to an amount sufficient
To enable the soil to retain a much
larger proportion of the rainfall than
at present and to greatly increase the
condition of the soil
8. A very important consideration
III the winter cover crop Is the large
amount Of grazing that can be Sc
cured from II at n time when IL IS
especilly valuable for young stock
and Its value is not limited altogeth-
or to the mere supply OF food. I,
adds to the health and vigor Of che
stock. On an average Of from to
1-2 months grazing can be secured
at nominal cost Of little labor In
preparing and seeding the land.
s. A. KNAPP,
Special Agent In Charge Farmers
Co-operatl0e instruction Work