The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-06-22
BRITISHER HAS =
CROP DoUBLER
Farmer Proposes New Method to
Increase the Yield of the
Soil.
CLAIMS MANY ADVANTAGES
Proves Successful In the Experiment.
al Stage-British Government Elk
ports Are Much Impressed
With Possibilities.

London.-In these days of cereal and
fodder shortage the farmer who sue
ceeds in growing two blades where
one grew before would be looked upon
as a public benefactor, but an English
farmer has succeeded in going one
better and writes to the Times to give
details of the new method.
He suggests that if his plan is adopt
ed there will be more grazing this
year, more beef next winter, more oats,
wheat and hay in 1919, and more graz
in 1919. If the new method is as sue
cessful over a large acreage as it has
proved to be in the experimental stage
it may rightly be termed a discovery
in agriculture.
The new method is as follows:
In July, by the use of a specially
devised drill, a winter cereal and an
artificial fertilizer are simultaneously
drilled through any grass land intend
ed for haying the following year. By
September or October the cereal will
have made a top growth of from eight
to ten inches. This is then grazed off
with the grass by whatever five stock
is turned out upon it, and the grain,
nominally an annual, is thus turned
into q biennial by virtue of its yield
of valuable grazing in the autumn pre-
ceding the year of the normal grain
harvest.
Double Crop.
The autumn grazing encourages and
strengthens the roots of the cereal
Owing to the protection from frost
given by the covering of turf, normal
spring growth begins earlier, more
heads are thrown up, development Is
more rapid, and the grain ripens at the
same time as the hay, both being har-
vested together. The harvesting is
done by means of an ordinary moving
machine fitted with an extra knife al
the proper height above the grass to
cut the heads of the grain. The low
er knife cuts the hay as usual and the
upper knife acts as a header.
A carrier behind the "header" knife
deposits the grain in a separate
Swath.
Many Advantages.
The advantages claimed for this
method are many, among them being
the following:
The productive capacity of the lane
is doubled. Old and valuable grass
lands are not only not destroyed, bu'
are improved. Economy of Labor
throughout; blowing and narrowing
are not needed; both crops are gath
cred together, planting and rolling arr
done at the same time, and he grail
crop is gathered with ease and Ger
tainty, as there is no green growth
with the grain to be stood in the SUI
to dry. Economy of fertilizers. A
saving of one-half of the seed usual.
needed. The autumn grazing is of {
fresh heterogeneous character. The pas
sage of the drills through the turf i'm
proves the surface drainage. Th'
equal mixing of straw with the hay fol
fodder. The great convenience of Jul!
planting for the farmer.
Saves Permanent Pasture.
It is asserted that under this method
no permanent pasture need be broker
up, rather that the larger part of the
arabic land might be put down to per
manent pasture. The permanent pas
lures are in hay and corn one year ant
grazed the next. In the spring of thu
grazing year seeds of annual legume'
can be planted through the pastures
with the same machine as is uset
to drill in the grain, not only on ac
count of their feeding value, but alsC
to increase the nitrogen in the soil fol
the following cereal crop.
The drilling of the seed through thu
turf is accomplished by a small knife
bladed foot that can be attached t.
any drill in place of the disk.
Government experts have been 81
impressed with the possibilities of TIL
method that priority certificates hav'
been granted for the manufacture o
the fittings or the import of any part
which may be necessary if they can
not be obtained here in time for thi