The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1913-09-12
Green Manuring Crops

Green Manuring Crops
Restoring the fertility of light or bad
ly exhausted soils is not simple matter
The addition of plant food is not the
only requirement, for the physical con-
dition of the soil itself needs to be
changed and put in such a state as to
favor beneficial bacterial and chemical
action as means of making plant food
available. In most soils of this character
there is no cheaper or more efficient
method of improvement than by the in
corporation of vegetable matter.
The addition of organic matter is of
benefit to soils in several ways. 1t i'm
proves the physical condition, making it
possible to keep them in better tilth,
improves the drainage, increases the
waterholding capacity, aerates the soil
| and presents more favorable conditions
for bacteria which elaborate plant food
and put it in form that may be used
Light, sandy soils and stiff clays are
most benefited by the addition of organ
ic matter, but practically all soils can
be improved in this way. -
Barnyard manure contains large
amount of organic matter and its appli-
cation is most excellent means of i'm
proving soil fertility; however, few
farmers have enough to go very far in
putting their soils in the condition they
should be. 1t is necessary to depend
largely upon green manure crops for
this purpose. In choosing crops for plow-
ing under it is well to select some legu-
minous crop, if possible, as these will,
when well inoculated with nitrogen-fx-
inf bacteria, be able to secure most Of
their nitrogen from the air and in the
end build up the nitrogen content of the
soil.
The following suggestions as to choice
of crops and methods of culture may be
Of value. Whenever possible red clover
should be seeded with small grain for
turning under. Under certain conditions,
at least, clover may be seeded with COM
paratively little risk and without extra
expense in the preparation of the seed
bed, and there is no crop that is more
valuable for green manuring purposes.
For early spring seeding, field peas
and oats, at the rate of IL bushels each
per acre may be used The peas should
be seeded rather deeply as early in the
spring as possible, and the oats seeded
about week later. The success Of this
crop will depend largely on the date of
seeding. The crop may be plowed under
as soon as the oats are heading and the
field summer fallowed for, wheat or rye{
or under favorable moisture conditions
the crop may be plowed under somewhat
!. earlier for corn or other late planted
crops.
!, For early summer seeding there is
nothing better than soy beans or cow
!, peas, which are both legumes. They
: should be planted from the 10th to the
last of June, preferably in rows about
, % inches apart, and cultivated the SANE
as field beans. About three pecks o.
: seed are required per acre. Attention
should be given to the inoculation witt
nitrogen-fixing bacteria when growing
, these crops for the first time in the field
This may be done by applying soil from
a field which has previously produced
!, the same crop or by using the Nitro
Culture manufactured by the College
, for inoculating the seed, The crop shouN
: be piowed under about the time of tf1
first frosts or as the leaves begin TO turI
yellow and fall off, or they may be plowet
under during the latter part of August
to be followed by fall seeded grain. Th(
best crop for seeding in late summer fo1
green manuring is the hairy or winte1
> vetch or rye. The vetch is legume.
The seeding may be done from the 10th
to the Goth of August on specially
9 prepared seed bed or in a cultivated
crop at the last cultivation. A half bushe|
: of vetch seed, per acre, should be used
|. !. with three pecks of rye to hold the vetch
!. up. Again the incubation is important,
as this is new crop in most sections OF
E the State. The same means of securing
! incubation as suggested above may be
= used. 1t is also well to re-seed the SAND
field to vetch two or three years, as the
incubation is apt to become NOR
thorough each year. When this is done
the expense of seeding may be lessened
by simply disking the ground to covel
/, the seed that have been shattered out.
! If tits desired to follow the and rye W.T.
! spring crop the blowing should be done
: before the rye has made too large a
growth and become dry and woody.
Another legume that may be used for
blowing underis sweet clover. This may
be seeded in early spring or in August.
the latter time probably being prefer
able. This crop is especially suited To
soils in very low state of fertility.
What is said above in regard to the in
oculation and reseeding of the vetch will
apply to this crop. x
Crimson clover is also used some ill
southwestern Michigan as green
manuring crop. This should be seeded ia
the fore part of August, at the ratq-rf
1920 pounds per acre Under favorf se
conditions ii should make a good crop
for turning under the following season.
Many attempts to grow crimson clover
in Michigan have resulted in winter kill
ing, although many of these failures
may have been due to late seeding. The
crop does not, however, have as impor-
tapt a place in this state as a green
mapuring crop as those mentione1
above,