The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-05-18
Cove, Crnps IN Orchards.

I
Clemson Extension Work. Article VI.
The importance OF planting cover
crops in our orchards is being more fu!-
! ly appreciated each year. yet in some OF
the principal fruit districts OF the South
we find many large orchards where no
cover crops have been planted. The re-
| suit is the soil in these orchards is be-
coming more impoverished each year by
! the teaching OF soluble fertilizers by sur
face washing and for want Of humus. In
I mos, cases the orchards are located on
the more elevated land which is hilly or
rolling with sandy soil and clay subsoil
On such soil it is hard 20 prevent sur
face washing entirely, but it could be
reduced 70 the minimum by the proper
use OF cove; crops. Not only do these
cover crops prevent surface washing,
but they utilize the soluble fertilizers
which would otherwise leach out Of the
soil. When the crop is turned under, It
adds considerable humus 20 the soil and
the fertilizers required to produce It be-
come available for the use OF The trees.
The plants USED as cover crops are o.!
two distinct types, leguminous and non-
Ilesuminous plants. The lesumes, such
as clover, cowpeas and vetch. in .add;-
tior 20 furnishing humus have the pow
er Of collecting nitrogen from the air
and adding this valuable fertilizer TO the
soil for the use OF other plants The nom
,Ieguminous plants, such as rye, oats and
tnruips, do not collect nitrogen from the
air but when sown in the early fall coz
sumo soluble plan, food during their
growth which would otherwise be los:
by teaching ana which is returned to
the soil VIXEN tie cover crop is plowed
under in the spring. Most soils where
orchards are planted are deficient in
both humus and nitrogen and therefore
leguminous cover crop should be Sc
lected. II the trr.s make sufficient
growth without the use OF nltrogenouS
fertilizers then cou-!eguminous cover
crop may be planted.
think am safe 10 saying. however.
tina, there are few commercial orchards
in the South that are Dot in need OF both
nitrogen and hunuS. To accomplish our
purpose OF adding nitrogen and humuS
20 the soil and TO prevent surface wash
ing, we should have botA . winter and
summer cover crop. Rye followed by
COW peas Will give bes, results on poor
soil. The rye should be sown in the
early fall in order that it may cover The
ground rs soon as possible and prevent
surface washing. The rye should be
turned under not later than the last OF
March. This may be accomplished by
double narrowing with the disk harrow
and this method is preferable to plowioS
as it avoids the danger OF plowing 100
deep aear the trees. = strip OF land siX
10 ten feet wide between the rows OF
trees should be prepared and tie peas
sowu broadcaS: about the first OF May.
Early 10 September the pea vines should
be worked into the soil by means OF
disk harrow and the land can be seeded
to rye or crimson clover.
After one or two crops of rye and peas
have been worked into the soil. crimson
clover or hairy vetch may be sown ic-
stead of rye. Crimson clover makes 40
excellent cover crop from September 20
Nav. AS soon rs enough seed have rip
ered 10 reseed ITSELF, the clover should
be worked into the soil with disk bar
row II the clover is allowed 10 occupy
all Of the space between the rows OF
trees during the months OF March and
April, it will retard the growth OF trees
10 some extent, and therefore think 1t
bes. 10 turn under the clover early IL
March. My plan is to fertilize and cul-
tirate the trees early IN March, leaving
q narrow strip Of clover in the middle 10
reseed itself a strip two or three feet
wide will produce enough seed for the
entire middle. After the seed have RI
peped, the clover Is worked into the soil
with disk barrow and the land may be
smoo,hed and the seed scattered over
the entire middle by nieaos OF tooth
harrow. Hairy vetca is an excellent
cover crop and may De treated IN the
same way as crimson clover. The seed
are sown in August or September and
the crop worked into the sol! in the
spring.
II crimson clover or hairy ve;ch Is to
be planted on land where neither OF
these crops has grown before, 1t Will be
necessary to inoculate the seld by Sc
curing soil from land where vetch and
clover have previously grown This soil
NAV be scattered over the land il the
same way as fertilizer Immediately after
sowing the seed. and then mixed with
the soil and seed by means OF 2 tooth
harrow. Wheat, oats and barley make
good cover crops, bu, they do not thrive
on poor land as we'll IS rye.
In no case should grain be allowed to
mature in the orchard as i, would rob
the trees OF moisture and plant food at
the very time they need them most
When good crop OF cowpeas, vetch or
c-insNa clover is added 10 the soil. we
are at the same time greatly enrichiDs
the supply of nitrogen which is our most
expensive fertilizer.
Prof. C. & NEWMAN,
S. c.. Experiment Station.