French Broad hustler and Western Carolina Democrat. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1915-1916, 1916-06-01
KEEP CROPS ON ALL YOUR
LANDS THIS SUMNER.
Summer Cover Crops Are as Import
ant as Winter Cover CrOps-SOme
That Are Good.

idle acres like idle laborers cause a
6enreciated labor income. Cropping
systems must be so planned that sub
situations can be made when seasonal
influences necessitate. The oat crop is
being harvested. and as summer is
Just beginning, another crop should be
sowed at once unless l~espedeza was
planted in the oats last February or
March. In that case another crop is
already coming on.
The hot weather during our long
decreases the organic con-
tent of the soil unless shaded by a
growing crop. Nitrogen is the most
costly of all the elements of plant food,
chiefly because it is removed from the
soil easier than any of the others.
Hence if the land in oats isn't kept
busy. the percentage of nitrogen. as
pecially in the organic form, will be
reduced. The surface of the soil be-
comes warmer through receiving the
direct rays of the sun. which causes
greater transference of the heat TO
the lower depths. The temperature OF
the surface soil may be raised suf6-
GENTLY high to decrease beneficial
bacterial action. In such cases The
organic matter in the soil is diminish
ed by burning" The reasons then
for growing another crop Immediately
following oats is to maintain thec crop
producing power Of the soil, to keep
teams and laborers busy. to produce
more cheap forage and food-stuffs, and
to increase the efficiency of the farm.
Now what crops a. be successfully
grown at this season of the year? The
old reliable cowpea is probably used
more than any other. Soy beans,
sorghum, peanuts, sweet potatoes, and
Mexican June corn are others to ser
lect. Silage from these late crops is
good, though the tonnage may be light.
Combinations of sorghum and cowpeas,
of corr and peas, and of corn and soy
beans can be used to obtain greater
tonnage and more valuable silage.
Sorghum and the clay or the Whip
poorwil1 peas sowed together with a
grain drill probably give as large a
tonnage as an other single or COM
bination crop SOwed at this time. In
this case the harvesting and cutting at
the siIo is rather tedious. A mower
with a. short cutter bar will in most
cases be used for cutting. However, If
the growth is not too luxuriant, the
grain binder might be substituted
which would insure easier loading and
less work at the silo. More of the
crop could be saved by the binder.
1t is not essential that silOs be
erected to use late crops. Peanuts,
Soy beans, cOwpeas, and sweet potatoes
will generally mature for hog pasture.
The Cotton Belt farmer cannot produce
pork on corn alone sufficiently cheap
to compete with the Corn Belt farmer.
Forage crops, such as those mention
ed, can be substituted. The hog will
then do the harvesting, saving expense
in this operation as well as in the
handling of all manure made. Such
pork hardened on corn two or three
three weeks before marketing will not
be too soft for the packing houses.
Even this method of harvesting is
not essential. The peanuts can be
plowed out and cured on stakes in the
field. after which the nuts can be pick
ed and marketed for oil or CONNECTION
purposes and the tops used for hay.
Sweet potatoes can be dug and stored.
through the winter, if prices during
the harvesting season are unsatisfac-
tory. Peas and soy beans may be cut
for hay or plowed under for green ma
nure. If the fall be late, these crops
may mature seed which can be picked.
June corr is soft. but if fed intelligent
ly car be used the same as any other
variety without serious trouble.
Any Of these crops shade the soil
during the most evere part of the
summer thus saving organic matter.
Prevention of this gives two values to
the summer crops.-A. F. Kidder in
Progressive Farmer,