Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-07-25

II
tended for this department to HENRY /
HAMMOND, Agricultural Editor Oxford Den
ocrat. Paris. Ne.
LegumeS as Farm Crops.
(Chas. Il. Glass, Ohio, In Hoard's Dsiryman
Practical farmers generally notice tina
their cultivated crops, as corn, tobacco
or potatoes, do best when grown wher
good clover sod was plowed under
Centuries ago, the best farmers in Eu
rppe recognized the value of the leg
umes. The Greeks and Romans grew
vstch and slfalfa--or medica as IL wa
then called. This name, ''medica," wa
given to alfalfa because il seemed TO i'm
prove the soil and was such good feeG
for the stock that they considered it as 8
medicine. Clover was one of the maiI
crops in the Norfolk rotation, which
proved so valuable in the agriculture
development of England in the early
part of the eighteenth century. Soy
beans are natives of China and Japan
where they have been grown for cen
turies. There they are valued as food,
as soil improver, and as a feed fol-
stock. Thus, the legumes are not a
newly developed species of plants, but
have been grown for many years and
centuries as one of the leading crops.
These ancient workers recognized the
value and superiority of them from their
experience and observations, but did not
understand the scientific principles in
volyed; an explanation of why they are
so valuable was beyond their stage of in
telligence.
The scientific principles concerning
them, explaining why and by what
means they may become so valuable,
have been pretty definitely and thor.
oughly worked out, and are here briefly
outlined in the simplest way so the prac-
ticsl man can grasp them. Though
there are many groups or varieties of
the legumes-ss alfalfa, beans, peas,
vetch; medium red, slsike, mammoth,
small white and crimson clover-the
three most important and which will be
kept in mind here are medium red clo-
yer, alfalfa, and soy beans. Alfalfa can
be used as a perennial, red clover as bi-
ennial, and soy beans as an annual, or to
take the place of either of the first two
in case they fail.
There are three general reasons for
the growing of the legumes. First, by
their growth the nitrogen supply OF the
soil is increased at the expense OF free
elemental nitrogen from the air; second
ly, the soil is improved by their growth; |;
and lastly, they furnish necessary and
satisfactory portion of feed for success
fully growing live stock.
The first extraordinary quality or the
- - 1f ha nit
supply of the soil, is possessed by no
other known group of plants. But this
property does not lie inherent with the
iegume itself, but depends upon the mu-
tual relation or united efforts of the
plant and the micro-organisms or bac-
terra which live upon its roots. These
are absolutely necessary, for without
them a legume can no more take up ele-
mental or free nitrogen than can corn or
any other cereal crop. This relation
may be compared with our relation to
the farm animals. We as human ami
mails cannot live on hay, fodder, grass,
and the coarse products which come
from the fields; but the farm animals
are ever ready and willing TO consume
them, thus changing them into the prod
ducts which we greatly relish-beef,
veal, pork, milk, butter, or eggs. We
are dependent upon the animals for
these foods. Likewise, the plant cannot
take up the raw or free gaseous nitrogen,
but the bacteria living upon its roots are
supposed TO take this nitrogen, combine
1t with oxygen, and form them into
soluble chemical compound termed nj
trate, which is readily taken up by the
plant though it is perhaps by-product
or excreted waste from the bacteria.
But the legumes do not take all of
their nitrogen by this means. If the soil
is rich in heterogeneous organic matter, as
having been heavily manured, the nitro
gen may be obtained from this supply,
and no nodules may be found on the
roots. so in this case no gain in nitrogen
results. Generally this source of nitro
gen helps the plant to get good start
while the root tubercles or nodules are
forming, and later the free gaseous nj
trogen from the soil air is used by the
aid of the bacteria in the nodules.
Another peculiar feature about this
symblotic relation is that q single
species of bacteria is usually adapted to
oply one kind of legume. The bacteria
found on red clover will not be found
satisfactory for the soy bean or alfalfa.
But is generally claimed that the species
found on sweet clover (melilotus) Will
also thrive on alfalfa; so on land where
sweet clover grows abundsntly with nod
ules on its roots, there need be no inoc-
ulatiou for alfalfa, and also dirt from
snch a field, as we'll as dirt from an old
alfalfa field or the pure cultures, may be
used in ipoculating for alfalfa. Inocula-
ton, which is simply introducing the
nroper kind of bacteria, Is nearly always
necessary and proves to be q great ad-
vantage, especially when starting alfalfa
ON a new field, and will be highly profit
able in nearly all similar cases with soy
beans. .f1
Another necessary condition for OBJ
raining best results with the legumes is
freedom from aeidity in the soil. Inc
bacteria can not thrive in an acid SOIL, SO
under such conditions no free nitrogen
is taken up. This leads to the applica.
ton of lime and thoroughly mixing II
with the soil so as to neutralize any
acidity present and make conditions IA
vorable for bacterial growth. Lime has
become not only help, but an absolute
necessity in many sections OF the corn
belt, and it viii perhaps always help ID
starting an alfalfa crop in field for the
first time.
This increasing of the nitrogen sup,
DIV in the soil leads naturally to the SOIL
Improvement advantages of the legumes.
They improve the soil by enriching 1t
with nitrogen, by improving the me-
chanical or physical condition OF the soil,
and by gathering and bringing up plant
| food from the deeper subsoil and so re-
mains for the use of other plants.
The fixation of nitrogen has already
been discussed, so in considering the
improved physical or mechanical condi-
tIons of the soil due to the legumes,
their root system must be taken up.
Cloysrs send down tap root, strong,
tapering root, into the deeper suosoil.
From this tap root many lateral roots
branch of on all sides and downward,
while from these side roots numerous
finer rootlets penetrate through the soil
so that. Ia a well seeded field, these roots
,-.Ato1. t;karallv All tha anil Now