The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1920-09-15
Value OF COVER CROPS IN
MAINTAINING SOIL FERTILITY

Wi H'o ooofVPa Soo poeHeS>OhdeTClll-
fW fIb AHfea rs: 81 f|syst f5|aySl is to the the
acre, but coming after velyet beans,
.&s2SsH'f14S z 2S9Hf' "ssgs9fFfPvVti"ss
Lap4 left to crest" does not improve
9 9faAP3jalyiiatk iwhsh Ewo5tffft @{h(a good
cover crop. When corn was : planted
K 81 gss|Gr 1s}'s vss ss
only Is bushels to each acre, but after
five years Of corn and crimson clover
the .,si! WELD increased to. so bushels an
8cfe. Gshe weakesRcraA ? &%n on
s so2thSfh ea / farms is tRss6fn crdA 81 which
IN IN WothEEwalue qawSS ns& t5Ssotton,
yet only two states il The Southern
group produced yield of more than
20 bushels an acre last year. Virgin
ia averaged 28.e North 49,, sGarolipa 49,,
'Yna South ChrolianT T6A Bushsls an
:ssfe. This ppSaastion @ and 6hould
m@"sM1Gs b. s'o~olsaG 2,ts ! I rs! q T., 10
The light soils found in Virginia
and the Carolinas are very deficient
in humus or deeayed ,orgapjc, matter
Therefofe, flfeCynob blem Of supplying
the deficient organic natter IS one of
the FIRST with which the farmer is con-
fffonte edA Fbhlus- -the} lifef9h the soil
must be put in the soil for the fol-
lowing reasons.
L. Humus is tho chief source of
supply of nitrogen.
OR Hunus, (Yhe len Ideeaying y makes
available Iplalit 4ood-]ffoin' tthe store
of unavailable plant food in the SOIL
3. Humus acts as a sponge and in
creases the water-holding capacity of
the soil.,a.:.r.,
d. Humus makes the soil more mel
low and granular.
5. Humus binds together the soil
particules' and thus prevents the soil
from drying by wind or washing by
rain.
6. Humus permits air to enter
heavy clay soil more readily
z. Humus makes soil darker in
color.
8. Humus furnishes food for count
less numbers Of bacteria that are help
full to plant growth.
8. Humus prevents baking.
All organic matter produced on the
farm that canont be used as food
should be returned to the soil to sup
ply humus. Corn and cotton stalks,
straw, and all spoiled hay etc, should
not be burned, for in burning, the or
ganic matter is destroyed. They
should be worked into the soil where
theywill decay and form humus. All
manure produced should be saved,
spread upon the field and worked into
the soil. If enough material is not
furnished in this manner to keep up
the supply of humus then some crop
should be plowcd under for this pur-
pose.
Crops that May be Planted With Corn
or Cotton at last Cultivation.
No field of corn should be laid by"
without peas, velvet beans, soy beans
or peanuts growing in it. If you failed
in this duty to the land you still have
time to SOW oats or rye.
Oats can be sowed from September
1st to November 18th. Fulghum oats
or Red Rust Proof, with kindred varie-
ties as Appler, have proved very sat
lCf1rt0rU I'll icl hn
to six inches deep, pulverize it with
harrow and if necessary use drag or
roller. Treat seed oats with formaln
to prevetn smut, and plant from two
to three bushels to the acre. Plant the
seed in open burrows or trenches to
prevent winter killing. Plant oats
on good land. They do we'll after an
early crop of corn and furnish winter
grazing, can be cut for hay in the
spring and improve the land.
Rye alone, or rye with crimson
clover goes long way toward making
a winter pasture. Sow early, in Sep
tcmber if possible, to get a good grow
tn before cold weather. Broadcast
rye or drill lit in the cotton fields after
The first picking, or plant on rich pre-
pared as for oats. From one and
half to two bushels per acre should be
sowed when it is grown for grazing.
AbruZzi hats proved one of the best
varieties for this purpose.
Because rye will grow in poor land,