The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-06-07
Use of Them Lessons Need for
Fertilizers, NJ. A. C. Horti-
cuIturiSt Says.
LEGUMES FIT IN WELL
Vetch, Peas and Clover Ideal Under
Michigan Conditions-Oats and
Rye Also Have
Place.
BY PROF. II. p. HALLiGAN,
Department Of Horticulture, Michigan
Agricultural College.


East Lansing, Mich.-The current
scarcity of fertilizers and the conse-
quent high price of potash and nitrog-
enous fertilizers emphasizes the ne
cessity for using cover crops in Michi-
gan fruit orchards this season. OF all
the resources at hand on fruit farm
for overcoming the fertilizer famine
and maintaining the fertility of the
orchards, cover crops are one OF the
most efiicaciOus. While they add no
potash or phosphoric acid to the soil,
they make such of these elements as
are already present more available to
the fruits at seasons of the year when
they are most needed.
Recent experiments in fertiliZing
commercial orchards have shown that
ii is possible to derive great benefits
from fertilizers which add nitrogen to
the soil. Some of the chief advantages
of leguminOus cover crops lie in the
fact that they serve just this purpose.
and furnish an element which, If the
purchaser had to buy it in the form Of
expensive. Clovers, vetches, beans and
peas when used as cover crops supply
nitrogen to the orchard soils. But
cover crops have their greatest value
in that they add humus to the soil.
This humus tends to maintain the ply
steal condition and increase the water
holding capacity of the orchard land.
One of the strongest arguments In ia
or of cultivation in Michigan orchards
is the fact that this practice conserves
the moisture. Soils without humuS
are not capable of holding large guam
makes their capacity in this respect
greater.
The selection of plant for cover
crop purposes depends largely upon
at which it can be seeded. On the
sandy loan soils, winter vetch is one
Of the most desirable leguminous cover
crops. 1t must be seeded rather early,
that is, some time in July or early Au-
gust, and it usually is combined with
growth in the fall and early winter 1t
is able to withstand very dry weather
during late summer and fall as well
as the tramping of pickers and packers
at harvesting time. If used with oats
and seeded with drill, Is pounds to
oats, but if spread broadcast 20 to %
pounds should be used per acre. On
the heavier clay loan soils, Mammoth
clover and June clover are both deSir-
able leguminOus cover crops. These
crops require "A very well prepared
are favorable In late summer and fall,
good growth will be secured Grim
son clover is also used sometimes as n
cover crop, but its lack of hardness,
especially during severe open winters,
makes it less desirable than those first
mentioned.
On orchard lands that have not been
previously used for cover crops, where
the soil is not in an ideal condition,
rye is desirable crop to use. 1t
brings the soil to mellow state so
that other cover crops can be grown.
Rye is also an excellent cover crop to
sow If the seeding has been delayed
until the fall. 1t makes fair growth
during the fall and springs up very
early in the spring so that by the time
the orchard is plowed there is a fairly
heavy crop of rye to turn under.
OF the other crops that may be used,
oats are probably the most popular.
The seed is not expensive and Is much
better than weeds in an orchard. Oats
can be sOwn late and produce good
cover in the fall. They are also very
popular i'm orchards that are to be
disked in the spring rather than powed
as there is less difficulty in working
them into the soil. Oats also make an
excellent crop to sow with winter
vetch or peas, but being nonlegumin-
Gus. they do not themselves add nitro
gen to the soil.
The comparatively high price of seed
at the present time makes ii important
that the soil should be very we'll pre-
pared, and to obtain the maximum
benefit from the amount of seed used,
it will often be sirable to drill the
seed rather than to broadcast it. Under
the present abnormal conditions, fruit
growers in Michigan cannot afford to
neglect this practice of obty thing the
many benefits to be derived from cover
crops.