FERTILIZERS. 75 



\ 

 The effect of their use will vary according to the peculiar character of the soil upon 



which they are used, the kind of crop produced, and the manner in which the system is 

 conducted. 



For the exhausted lands of New England, upon which certain crops have been continu 

 ously grown for years, and have thus been rendered but partially productive, and for many 

 of the worn-out soils of the Southern States, which have become exhausted by the constant 

 cultivation of cotton, sugar-cane, and tobacco, etc., this system is highly recommended by 

 many of the best agricultural writers of the country. 



Before sowing any crop for green manure, it will be well to apply to the soil well-decom 

 posed and pulverized barnyard manure, bone-dust, guano, or some other good fertilizer, in 

 order to give the plants a good vigorous start, since the more luxuriant and heavy the growth 

 of the crop to plow under, the more fertilizing material will be obtained from it, and conse 

 quently the greater benefit to the soil. 



Some exhausted soils require considerable time to recuperate in this way, but it does not 

 involve much expense. Often three or four crops of green manure are turned under before 

 certain worn soils will be rich enough to produce a fair product. 



For green manuring, various crops are used, but some are more valuable than others. 

 First and foremost in value we place red clover. The crops most commonly used for this 

 purpose are red clover, buckwheat, rye, oats, corn, millet, many of the grasses, the cow-pea, 

 etc. Rape, vetches, mustard, spurry lupine, and the leaves of turnips, after removing the 

 bulbs, are frequently used for this purpose in Europe. 



Clover for Yegetable Manure has been styled by one of the best authorities in 

 agriculture (Joseph Harris), &quot; the grand renovating crop of America.&quot; 



Hon. George Geddes, so well known throughout the United States as a practical, scien 

 tific, and eminently trustworthy farmer, says of it: 



&quot; The agriculture ef Onondaga county is based on the clover plant. It is used for pas 

 ture, for hay, and for manure. Strike this plant out of existence and a revolution would fol 

 low that would make it necessary for us to learn every thing anew in regard to cultivating 

 our lands. What their value would be without clover, we will not attempt to conjecture. 

 We have this most valuable treasure, and appreciate it. 



If our soils require improving, we turn the clover crop under, and repeat the operation 

 until there is sufficient fertility to allow us to carry the clover off. The oftener we can fill 

 the soil with .roots, and then plow them under, and thus allow them to rot, the sooner do we 

 expect to get our land in condition to bear a crop of grain.&quot; 



A very considerable part of the cultivated land of this county (Mr. Geddes might have 

 appropriately said &quot; a very considerable part of the cultivated land in Central and Western 

 New York) &quot; has never had any other manuring than this clover and gypsum, and its fertility 

 is not diminishing. Fields that are distant from barnyard manure are rarely treated to any 

 thing but gypsum and clover. These fields are not cropped with grain as often as those that 

 have the benefit of barnyard manure, but they are manured with much less expense. 



The cost of clover seed, at $6 per bushel, is, . . . . . $1 50 



The cost of sowing is about, . . ...... 8 



The cost of three bushels of gypsum at the mills is, ..... 24 



The cost of drawing the same, .... 12 



The cost of sowing at three different times, . 38 



Total cost of manuring one acre, .... $2 32 



A field having the first year given a crop of hay and another of seed, the second year an 

 acre will nearly or quite pasture a cow from the twentieth of May until the middle of 

 August. If then plowed in the most perfect manner, it will be in the best possible condition 



