The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1922-09-14
TELLS HOW TO SAVE
BERRY FIELDS HERE
County Agent II. Is. Carroll Adj
vises Planting of Vetch as Cow
err Crop i'm Winter

How to protect Lynden's berry
fields from the ravages OF a sew
ere winter, such as wrought hav-
oc in 1921. is discussed this week
by H. b. Carol, jr., county agent.
Mr.. Carroll advocates the plant
ing of vetch for use as fertilizer
or cover crop in the fields.
Says Mr.. Carroll:
Careless and wasteful methods
of farming have reduced the crop
producing values OF millions of
acres of land in the United States
Men have constantly taken from
the soil without returning fer
tility until only fraction of the
crop producing power of the soils
were left.
Little attention has been paid
to this by the American farmer
in general until finally the sup
ply of new and fertile, easily
cleared lands in the West began
to give out, and then he began
to look for means of keeping up
and increasing his crops. On
looking across to Europe we find
that these questions have been
much better handled there, SO
much so that the average yield
of potatoes in England is much
higher than here. and the same
is equally etrue Of many other
crops.
Even in this new country of
Washington crops have rapidly
fallen away in many of the older
sections. The apple orchards of
Wenatchee and Yakima under
the system of clean cultivation
practiced few years ago soon
began to produce fewer and small
ler apples. The prune orchards
of southwest Washington began
to show the same results. The
valley soils of Western Washing
ton after being farmed for years
show decreased yields, and much
of the upland in Western Wash
ington is naturally not high in
fertility. This problem has at
once become important. Berries
particularly show the need OF
more fertility and better soil
treatment. In the orchard and
berry sections manure helps but
cannot be obtained cheap enough
and in large enough quantities
to meet the requirements.
Much thought has been given
to this problem and many tests
made by the State Experiment
Station and by progressive grow
ers. More nitrogen is generally
needed in the soils and sometimes
phosphorus and potash to secure
good crops, but of equal or great
er importance is it to have a soil
filled with humus which is simp-
ly decaying organic matter. This,
of course is supplied by manure
and where available is excellent.
In this humus there are millions
of bacteria which by their act
ivities dissolve bits of the ele-
ments out of the soil compounds
which are needed by growing
plants for food. In this way it is
said that humus puts life and
available fertility into the soil
In the orchards it was found
that alfalfa, clover and vetct
planted as cover crop, met these
varied demands. The vetch ol
alfalfa when plowed under ol
left to rot down, supplied con
siderable amounts of humus anC
also these plants being legume'
were able by the use Of the bac
terra which live on their roots
to gather nitrogen out of the ali
and to store it up in themselve:
and in the soil. This in turn wa'
used by the trees and crops begaI
to improve at once. Today al
the successful orchardists in thes,
districts use this method of keep
ing up the soil fertility.
| Where irrigation is not don,
as in Western Washington, vetcl
is best in the orchards and berr.
fields. and to make more humu
in the winter, rye or winte
wheat is added. Hairy or winte
vetch is more hardy and is bes
for sandy light soils. Sprini
vetch costs less and is generall
hardy enough in Whatcom Coun
ty. 40 lbs. of vetch plus 80 or 4
lbs. of wheat or rye makes
good mixture for an acre Of Der
ries. This mixture seeded earl
in the fall, late August or earl
September, makes a fine cove
crop to plow under in April o
May the following year. TIL
plowing must be done earl
enough in the spring in orde
that there may be plenty O
moisture left for the development
of the fruit. This will of cours
vary in a few years previous, tn
seed should be inoculated wit