The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-27
PLANT SOIL SAVERS IN SOUTH

Produce more wheat and rye, put dO not overlook the value to the permanent ag- riculture of the south of leguminous win ter cover crops-crimson and bur clover and the vetches-is the advice of the United tSates department of agriculture. While the determination to plant record acreages of wheat and rye in the south is entirely commendable, specialists cau- tion that the drain of grain crops on the land be not disregarded. The agricul- tural future of the south demands that the soil be maintained at maximum fer tility by turning under regularly legum- inous crops.
 A winter cover crop is better than a summer legume, for several reasons. The latter is not often turned under, and when a crop of cowpea hay is taken from the land the stubble turned under falls far short of doing the good the soil needs. At the same time a farmer is scarcely warranted in turning under a crop representing a considerable money value which is grown during regular crop season. A leguninous winter cover crop, on the other hand, occupies the ground at a time when cash crops can
  washing, takes up fertility that might otherwise be leached away. and often pro- vides winter grazing for cattle. That winter conditions in the south are very different from those where the ground freezes so as practically to prevent wash ing and teaching scarcely need be em- phasized. Under open winters any sol able plant food is subject to rapid loss. Such loss might be largely prevented, of course, by growing winter grain crops but if these crops are then sold off the farm the plant food merely is taken away in another manner. The farmer may be cash in pocket but the land IS poorer. If the grain crop is turned un- der the land benefits some, but not nearly as much as if a legume crop had been turned under.
 The benefit derived from turning un- der q iegune crop, as crimson clover, varies, of course, with soil and circum- stances In general, the evidence from experiment stations and from host of good farmers is that corn or cotton crop Allowing crimsn clver benefits all the way firm 10 to 80 per cent. It is essen tiaI to the continued prosperity of the south that this fact be not overlooked. It will be poor policy strain hard after the immediate profit as to over look the fact that an acre from which a grain crop has been taken will not yield as much corn as one on which crimson clover has been turned under and that, furthermore, the first acre has taken a step on the down grade while the second has taken one on the up grade.
 It is true that the seed of winter legu1nes is high. but it is worth asking whether the per acre cost of seeding is really much greater than that for grains Common rye is quoted by south ern dealers at about S3 per bushel and up, while Abruzzi is offered at from $4 up With crimson clover seed at 2u cents per pound E pounds per acre will cost the farmer the same as to SOW one bushel If rye per acre. Oats at Sl .25 to $150 would cost the farmer about the same as crimson clover. There is no doubt that the supply of crimson clover and of hairy vetch seed is limited, even at the high prices prevailing, but south ern farmers are urged not to neglect to plant a small acreage to legumes.
 In the case of crimson clover especial ly the department cannot urge too strong ly the planting of a small plat on every farm with view to saving it for seed lieve that the importation of crimson clever seed will be no greater next fall than it is this, and unless the crop win ter-kilS again, the farmers Of the south should be able to make themselves pretty well independent of the foreign supply TOT next Iall On the paSIS or yleiu of five bushels of hulled seed per acre, one acre left for seed will furnish enough to plant 20 acres, even if. owing to defective homemade means of harvest ing, this average should not be main taned in the case of seed in the hull There is every reason to believe that one acre to 10 is low estimate, and at this rate the south could accumulate a large stock of home grown seed in one season. The area to be planted for seed should be worked as level as possible, since this facilitates harvesting. The rotation plans for the farm should provide that late corn or millet for nay follow this clover. Cotton cannot be planted after 8 crimson clover seed crop is taken but in most sections corn can follow a seed crop and the residue of the clover turned under will help the corn. Some crimson clover seed should be saved even if there is no huller in the neighborhood