The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-08-31
Earn, Topics
WINTER COVER cRors-
Agricultural n~p.rtm~at saGx~st'
nsfYrxwnx C.v~r gxvps f~w nsn~Twn'
soils and Climates.

- ar co4eES seNSoG @n 10 As@s *@@& -
organic matter or hnmns IN the soil.
as il In = weIl-known fact that Ia ad-
aisson 10 other desirable qualities do
cayiux organic matter Or aamus IN
ersassx the water~h holding capacity Of
ali soils.
For the protection of the soil and
TO provide against the disastrous ef-
fec,s of 3 possible drouth next sum
mer. farmers should pat IN winter
cover crops The best crops Tor this
purpose are the ciovcrs. yetehss. and
small grain crops. On land where
the closers and vesches will grow sue
cessfully they are better than rye or
other small grain crops. but where
they will not grow IL will be advisable
10 SOW rye.
For best results. these crops should
be put in as quickly as possible. espe-
cialiy In the western part OF the State.
Prepare the land BY disking and har-
rowing and SOW Is pounds OF clean
crimson clover seed per acre, and IL
convenient. SOW also 800 pounds OF
! acid phosphate per acre, as that viii
/ help TO insure a stand OF clover. Some
SOW In addition TO this one pound OF
! turnip seed per acre, preferably the
Cowhorn variety. claiming that the
turnip leaves protect the young clover
plants in their early stages Ii can
! do no harm to SOW the turuip seed
I as these crops are intended 10 pillow
under next spring TO improve the
soil.
The seed should be covered with
a cultivator or with a harrow about
one inch deep. In the western part
/ of the State these should be put in at
once so as to make sufficient growth
to withstand the winter. In the cen
trail part of the State they should be
put in not later than the last OF Sep
TENDER, while in the eastern pnd
warmer sections of the State they can
be put in as late as the middle of
October.
In the Coastal Plain section bur
clover is also fine for a winter cover
crop. The seed of this is usually pur-
chased in the rough or bur and
should be planted at the rate of from
three to four bushels of the burs per
acre, and covered about one inch
deep. These should go in at once.
Acid phosphate can be used with
these to advantage.
Hairy vetch also makes a fine win
ter-cover crop, and will succeed in al
most any part of the State On well
drained land, especially where Part
ridge or Mountain peas grow. II
sowed alone, SOW at the raft OF thirty
pounds of seed per acre, and If with
rye Or other small grain, one bushe
of small grain and twenty pounds Of
vetch per acre. They should be SOW
ed at about the same time as Grim
two inches deep.
Where none of these crops viii
grow successfully, sow rye at the rat,
of one and half bushels per acre
You want heavy growth to protec
the land and to add a great quantit.
of vegetable matter when turned un
der next spring.
Turn under two or three weeks be
fore you wish to plant the crop which
. is to follow. Rye, especially, shoul'
not be permitted to get woody befor
turning under. Better turn it unde
as soon as the heads begin to appea
, than to wait until it is grown. IL
gets full grown and dry weather fol
: lows it would leave the land so opel
p and loose that the crop following i
would suffer more than If no rye wa
put on the land.
. All these crops should be dislike,
l well and thoroughly cut up befor
= blowing under next spring. Good re
suits may be expected only when the
> are well mixed with the soil bebr
the crop is planted.
/ If any one doubts the benefits I
= be had from these winter-cover crop
let him prepare one acre of ayerag
land and treat it as described above
Next spring plant another acre by tn
= side of it that has had no winter
;, cover crop and cultivate both alike
: One demonstration like this will usu
= ally convince person of the valu
OF winter-cover crops
O Seed for any of the above-mention
a ed crops can be had from almost an
: reputable seedman, but buy only tn
II best and freest from impurities. TIL
o best are none too good.
Cl
I. B. PARKER.
% Director Cooperative Experiments, ,
l. c. Department of Agriculture.
Ie