Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-05-30
MELILOTUS is SUPERIOR SOIL BUILDER

/ W BNl liill Si'NA III Api n Ept'A NhAAAh- "
hay, or covering of green manure
When cut during April or May enough
of the vetch seed will often shell and
scatter to reSeed the soil.
Crimson Glover.
Crimson clover is winter annual
well adapted as cover crop in sec
| tons where il does well. Ii is grown
most abundantly on the coastal plain
soils from New Jersey to South Caro-
lima and near the coast still farther
south. Its extent has increased very
fast in late years and ii is now grown
in many states west of the Allegheny
mountains
Crimson clover should be sown at
the rate of ten to fifteen pounds per
acre. from August to October, or when
the first good autumn rains set in. II
is commonly sown in corn or other cul-
tivated crops following the last Guilt
walton either just before o. just after
a penetrating rain. lnocuiati"n
should be practiced on fields where the
crop has not been grown previously.
Crimson clover furnishes late fall
and winter pasture of good quailty
and 1t is sometimes cut for hay III the
spring. Its principal value, however Is
to turn under for a green manure crop.
1t fits fairly well into the cotton-crop-
ping system for this use.
Bur Glover.
Bur clover is wintergrOWing le-
gume which is adapted as winter
cover crop in the section from Tennes-
see and North Carolina southwark. 1t
does not furnish hay crop but affords
good winter and spring pasture for cat
tie, sheep and hogs. When cleaned
seed are used incubation should be
practiced, otherwise the particles or
soil which the burs pick up carry sufii-
cient bacteria for incubation.
Peanuts.
The use of peanuts is fast gaining
ground throughout the South both for
hay and for pasture. The crop does
well on most sandy soils when they are
plentifully supplied with lime. The
Spanish variety is best adapted for use
as hay and pasturage The peanut Is
a legume which fits well into rotations
with cotton or corn rs principal crops.
They are frequently planted In rows
alternately with the rows of corn.
About two bushels per acre should be
planted, and in the northern part of
the Southern States they should be
shelled previous to planting. They
make splendid pasturage for hogs,
which eat both vines and nuts. They
also make hay of good quality which is
relished by both cattle and sheep.
Florida Besgar Weed.
The Florida beggar weed is an an
nual forage plant adapted to the light
sandy soils of Florida and southern
Alabama and Georgia. Like crab
grass, it develops late in the season,
and so is very useful for pasturage
when other pasture plants are at their
poorest. When 20 or 80 pounds per
acre of rough seed are sOwn after
early crops, such as oats and melons,
the beggar weed develops in time for
sOOu itte ptlSluldSe. IL is ldttellllS 10
horses, mules and cattle. 1t is fire.
luently cut for hay before getting
woody and is likewise sometimes used
for silage.
Velvet Beans.
Velvet beans are a valuable legu-
ninous crop sin sections having long
growing seasons. The crop takes from
i've to seven months to mature, which
limits its usefulness to sections south
If line extending through Savannah,
Ia, and Austin, Tex. Recently devel-
,ped early varieties are valuable, how |
,ver, farther northward The extreme
y heavy growth of the velvet bean
makes it valuable legume for restOr-
ng fertility to the soil. The heavy
growth also makes 1t necessary to pro-
ride some means of support for the |
liant for best results. Such support
S practically supplied by planting it
With corn or pearl millet. With corn it
s planted In the same or alternate |
ows at the same time the corn is
'lanted.