Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-23

soil of the average Maryland farm" re-
marked a Montgomery county farmer a
| few days ago. There seems to be
humus within year, leaving the earth
in its original condition. That Is the
reason why so many farmers depend
almost altogether on commercial
| fertilizers"
| 1t is a fact that many Maryland and
/ Virginia farmers use large quantitles
| Of commercial fertilizer in addition TO
| the manures made on the place under
| the impression that green manures 90
the soil no good. However, II httie
attention were paid to methods Of cul-
| tivation it would be found that humus
is not destroyed any more rapidly IN
Maryland soils than in those of any
Hyattsville no commercial fertilizer
| has been used In the past seven or eight
years. the fertility being maintained by
| the use of barnyard fertilizers ana
crop of cowpeas is turned under each
| summer, and a crop OF crimson Grover,
used as cover during the winter. Is
plowed under. with all the farm
tillability of the soil Of this little farm
| is probably as high as that of any place
| in the entire state, while corn crops OF
more than 100 bushels to the acre, and
/
| acre are the usual thing.
In nine cases out of ten disappear
ance of humus from the soil is due TO
faulty methods Of cultivation. Humus
! is the vegetable mold in the SOIL that
! acts in much the same manner as 90
the digestive ferments in the human
| stomach; they render the mineral plant
foods available for the use OF tne
growing crops. The humus content is
much lighter than the mineral con-
tent of the soil. and If the ground Is
plowed in such manner as 10 per
init rainfall to run on rapldly the
lighter humus will naturally be washed
away. But II the blowing is done in
such a way as to follow the contour
of the slopes-somewhat In the man
ner of the terrace cultivation recon-
mended for certain hilly sections Of the
| southland II the plowsole is shattered
| by the use of subsoil dynamite or by
extra deep blowing, the rainfall will
be absorbed to a much greater extent,
and the run-off, being greatly lessened.
will not wash the humus out OF the
soil.
ION the Maryland farm referred to
blowing is always done in such way
as to give the rainfall little chance to
wash and gully the soil. The pillow fol-
lows around the contour OF the slopes
and the ground Is not narrowed and
rolled fiat, as on so many farms. In
addition, agricultural dynamite was
used on the place several years ago,
the result being that an ancient plow
soil was broken and shattered so that
the rainfall is practically all absorbed
and stored up for plant utilization in
dry seasons. The two things. contour
blowing and subsoil dynamiting, have
resulted in almost eliminating run loft
and soil wash.
AS for the use Of green manures on
| the farm in question, crop of cow
peas is sown between corn or potato
| rows when the crops are laid by" In
| late August, when the crops are har-
| vested. the ground is plowed and har-
| rowed fine and crimson or red clover Is
\ sown thickly. BY the time the late fall
and winter rains set in the clover has
made a thick growth. serving as a cover
crop and at the same time storing up
nitrogen in the soil. In the spring all
the barnyard manure available is
spread on top of the clover and the
| whole is turned under. The owner of
the place says that when he bought it.
about nine years ago, sixteen bushels of
corn per acre was all the land would
produce, even with commercial ferti-
| lizer. Last years corn crop averaged
1928 bushels per acre.
There Is no need for a man to pay big
grocery bill every month II he will give
only little earnest attention to his
| ~.
lanta, Ga, has converted his back yard
| into a vegetable garden which produces
| enough vegetables during the summer
to supply twelve families. The yard
contains about a quarter Of an acre
and every foot of 1t is cultivated. II
cannot see," said DR.. Love. why every
man doesn't make use of his back
lyard. A garden properly cared for will
feed his family and often net him
enough to make a payment on the
| ynlp hoo ord r11y
planned and tended will do away with
| the necessity Of buying any green
vegetables during the entire summer
and keep the average family supplied
with more and better food than 1t is
possible to buy from the market men,"
In growing sweet peppers remember
that the plants, in the seeded and after
transplanting. require exactly the same
| care as tomatoes. Peppers do we'll in
any loose. fertile soil.
| Never buy low-priced or cheap seeds.
! In nine cases out of ten the highest
priced seeds are by far the cheapest in
| the long run. Seeds do not cost much
| in proportion to the labor expended on
| the plants crops, and a full crop is
only possible when the best seeds are
| used.
! Rotation is as necessary with pota-
| to the most successful potato growers
| Of the middle west. However neces-
| sary 1t may be to treat seed potatoes,
| that alone will not insure a full crop.
| free from scab and other potato dis
eases. according to these experts
| Gardeners whose potatoes were scabby
or scurfy last year and who plant late
potatoes on the same ground this year.
! even though they may treat the seed.
will find this years crop just as bad,
| or even worse. in regard to the diseased
\ conditions. The germs Of the diseases
| remain in the soil for several years,
| experts have found. injecting each
succeeding years potato crop.
by planting treated seed In a field
that has not produced potatoes for
| three or four years the grower may
| feel SAFE" says an expert. This
| change Is best for the land, too. 1t
| gets rather sick of one crop all the
| time and wants a change, just about
| as we want a change In food. How
+, would we like to have bacon and eggs
! put in front of us three times a day?
| Our land does no better In growing
j; three crops of potatoes one after an
| other. Crop rotation a changing
around Of crops from one field to an
! other-together with proper treatment
of the seed. will give us potato crops
-, free from destructive disease such as
| scab and black scurf"
The Department of Agriculture has
POULTRY. DOGS. PET STOCK.