The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1922-10-05

.se 8s8e 90 8 9 3 e
WINTER COVER CROPS
AND SUBS0ILING 9
sc @%@s Z. 81. . 9
(By T. f.. Peck, Commissioner Of
Agricultural
Now is the time for seeding winter
cover crops of rye, crimson clover
vetch, etc, and l hope the farmers OF
Tennessee are realizing the import
anee and value of the winter cover
crop. 1t win prevent land from wash
ing if seeded in time to get well es-
tablished before cold weather. II
will furnish winter pasture when the
soil is dry enough to pay for cost Of
seed and preparation Of the seed bed.
If stock is removed before the
spring growth starts it will ma
terially increase the humus in the
soil if turned under and, if crimson
clover is seeded, add from go to 10
pounds Of nitrogen to the acre. Land
should not be left bare during the
winter, and there is no excuse for
doing so when so much can be done
to increase its productivity, and that
win be profitable.
The winter cover crop is not an ex-
pertinent. It's value has been re-
peatedly demonstrated so that farm
ers in every community should know.
If we neglect to do these things the
responsibility is on our own shout
ders.
Now is also the best time of the
year for subsoiling to get the best
results. l have heretofore discussed
the value and Importance of subsoil-
ing, when and how it should be done,
but it is subject of great import
ance and will bear repetition, Many
are now subsoiling who did not prac-
tice it few years ago. Still there are
thousands who are trying to make a
living by scratching few inches of
the surface soil, with hard pan just
beneath that is impervious to water
and which roots of plants can not
and the plant food in it is
dormant.
Shallow preparation of land causes
it to wash easily and give up it's
scant supply of humus more readily.
| have bought what was called worn
out farms and in two years had them
good crops. They had been
broken shallow and the surplus
water, which the soil could not alb
sorb, carried away the vegetable
matter, leaving the surface soil hard
to pulverize and easy to bake. When
| got hold Of such a place at this
season of the year | would hitch one
team to turning pillow and set the
pillow so it would run as deep as the
ground had been broken. With an
other team to a subsoiling pillow Il
would follow in the furrow of the
turning nlow, having the subsoil pillow
set Just deep enough to get under the
hard crust and break it up. This is
better than to set the subsoiling pillow
100 deep. | try to have a green crop
TO turn under. This puts the vege-
fable matter in the broken up subsoil
The winter rains and frosts reach it
md disintegrate it and release the
dormant plant food.
In the spring | want to mix and
oulverize the soil as deep as SUBSIDIZED. |
increase the vegetable matter by
growing winter cover crop of rye,
fetch or clover in combination The
equine stores nitrogen in the soil. !
When possible | applied two tons of
ground limestone per acre.
The important feature | want to
is that now, while the sub
oil is not wet, is the best time to do
The subsoil should have
he rains and frost of winter to dis
ntegrate it. Subsoil should never be
brown to the surface when subsoil-
ng. Land that is subsoiled at the
light time and in the right way will |
louble the yield of crop; If rightly
it will not wash. 1t will
etain more moisture and stand |
lrouths, where land not SUBSIDIZED
would fire.
Subsoiling can be done by the small /
armer, as well as by the man who
arms on larger SCALE. No expen-
i've equipment is necessary. Some
armers say they can not subsoil their |
whole farm; that they are not able to
10 it. 1t is true he can not do it all |
n one season, but any farmer can
ubsoil few acres each year, and in
hat way the whole farm can be sub
oiled and will be rendered more pro-
luctive and more easily cultivated.
It is not lack Of knowledge of how
o do things that is the trouble with
many farmers, but the trouble is to
ret them to do what they know should
'e done. We can climb ladder only |
rung at a time. We should do our
,est, and if we do that we will find
hat we are on the road to success
md prosperity.