EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 451 



just before the last cultivation of the corn to seed the corn field to 

 Avinter vetch at the rate of 30 pounds per acre. The field may be 

 seeded to oats or rye instead. The benefits to be derived from the catch 

 crop are at least three: 



1. In the fall and early spring the soil is protected from the winds. 



2. During the winter these crops catch and retain the snow upon 

 the ground, from which fact the soil benefits not only from the blanket 

 of snow during the winter, but, also, from the melting of the snow in 

 place in the spring. 



3. The discing in of the crop in the spring adds to the soil organic 

 matter, and in the case of vetch, nitrogen as well. 



GREEN MANURING. 



Green manuring is the practice of growing a crop to plow under be- 

 fore it matures. This is done to increase the amount of organic matter 

 in the soil. Different crops are used for this purpose. 



Kye is perhaps the most commonly used, and probably chiefly because 

 it can be planted in the fall and makes a considerable growth before 

 the growing season closes. It takes up the growth again early in spring 

 and continues until the farmer is ready to plow it under. It is sown 

 at the rate of II/2 bushels to 2 bushels per acre. 



Of the spring grown crops oats or rye are frequently used; and are 

 sown at the regular rates of seeding. 



Sometimes Indian corn is sown at the rate of 1 bushel to II/2 bushels 

 per acre for this purpose. It may be sown in drills or broadcast. 



Oats and peas are sometimes used, sown at the rate of 1 bushel of oats 

 and 2 bushels of peas to the acre. 



Sand vetch is also used, the seeding being at thfe rate of 30 to 50 pounds 

 per acre. The seeding in all cases is done as early as conditions of soil 

 and air are suitable for the planting of the crop. 



The sand, hairy or winter vetch seems to be rapidly growing in favor, 

 both as a catch crop plant and as a green manuring plant. Its value 

 rests upon three things, viz. : 



1. Because of the size of the seed it may be planted as deep as two 

 inches, thus increasing its chances for moisture sui^ply, and thus insur- 

 ing germination. The clovers and alfalfa frequently suffer because they 

 may not be planted deep enough to insure moisture and anchorage to 

 preserve the plant from blowing away. 



2. The plant makes a very rapid and vigorous growth, producing a 

 large amount of material to plow under or disc in. 



3. It is much more valuable than the grains for this purpose because 

 of the amount of nitrogen which it gathers during its growth and leaves 

 for the use of future crops. 



On the Miami sandy soils of southern Michigan the cow pea is being 

 nmch used as a green manuring crop. Peas are sown at the rate of 3 

 pecks per acre, about the first week in June, and the crop is plowed 

 under from the first to the middle of Sej)tember. When wheat is sown 

 after cow peas thus jjlowed under, the yields of wheat are greatly in- 

 creased; and when clover is seeded with the wheat the following spring, 

 it seldom fails to make an excellent catch. 



