SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
237 
CROPS WHICH ExNRICH THE SOIL. 
OxVE of the great needs of American agriculture is the 
introduction and extensive cultivation of such plants as 
enrich rather than impoverish the soil. So far as ascer- 
tained the leguminous plants — such as peas, beans, and 
clover — belong to this class. So also do turnips, and 
probably other cruciferous plants, when not raised for 
seed. On the other hand the ceralia — including wheat, 
barley, oats, rye, maize, sugar cane, and the grasses pro- 
per, such as timothy, red-top, rye grass, &c. — impover- 
ish the soil. They all have starchy seeds and glassy 
stems. They take from the soil, from rains, dews, and 
the atmosphere, more ammonia than they contain when 
grown. On the other hand, the leguminous plants, tur- 
nips, &c., retain the ammonia ; and when the plants are 
plowed in or consumed on the land by animals they in- 
crease the supply of ammonia in the soil. All crops 
grown for feeding animals on a wheat farm, or for plow- 
ing under as a manure, should belorg to the latter class as 
much as possible. 
The time is come in this section andinthe older States 
when the great aim of the farmer must be to enrich the 
soil. In determining which crop to raise for the purpose 
of feeding on the farm, we must not merely ask the sim- 
ple question. What crop will afford the most nutritious 
matter, but which will be ultimately the most profitable, 
taking into consideration, its effects on the soil, the 
amount of nutritious food, and the value of the manure 
made by its consumption on the farm I Where the object 
is to enrich the farm it is a great waste of vegetable force to 
grow bailey, oats, rye, corn, and the grasses for the pur- 
pose of feeding animals on the farm. We should rather 
grow plants of a lower organization — plants which re- 
quire less of that kind of food best suited to the growth of 
plants used as food for man. All will admit that to grow 
wheat to be fed to animals for the purpose of enriching 
the soil as the primary object would be a wasteful prac- 
tice ; and we believe the growth of the plants named for 
this object is wasteful also, though perhaps in a less de- 
gree. 
If we can direct the attention of farmers to this subject 
we believe many ussful plants will soon be intro- 
duced which are now little known or cultivated in this 
country. For this purpose we will describe some of 
the most useful plants which experience indicates as be- 
longing to that class of crops which enrich the soil. 
White Lupine. — This plant has been used in Southern 
Europe for plowing in as a manure, since the days of 
Columella. We have frequently alluded to it as pre-emi- 
nently worthy of trial on the poor sandy soils of the At- 
lantic slope, especially where the climate, is mild. It de- 
rives its name from lupus, a wolf, in allusion to its vo- 
racious qualities. It strikes its tap-roots deep in the soil, 
and it will flourish where many other plants would 
starve. It is of very rapid growth, produces a large 
quantity of alkalies. It is rarely or never injured by 
drouth or insects, and is admirably adapted for enriching | 
unfruitful sandy soils ; while its strong stems and roots 
open and ameliorate, as well as enrich heavy, tenacious 
clays. M. Vilmorin, of Paris, says it is sown in that 
vicinity about the middle of April, after all danger from 
frost is past. He says “the green manure yielded by this 
plant IS excellent. The seeds, soaked in water, form a 
good cattle food, and the young plant is readily eaten by 
sheep.” White lupins are now quoted in the large seeds- 
men’s list of England and France, and w’e hope they will 
be introduced into this country. 
Spurry, {Spergula arvensis.') — No plant has been more 
lauded for enriching sandy soils than Spurry. Von Vogt 
states that by its use the “worst shifting sands may be 
made to yield remuiierative crops of rye, that the green 
manuring every other year not only nourishes sufficieniiy i 
the alternate crops of rye, but gradually enriches the soil, 
and that it increases the effect of any other manure that 
may subsequently be put on.” He adds, also, that “spur- 
ry produces often as much improvement if eaten off by 
cattle as if plowed in ; and that, when fed upon this plam:. 
either green or in the state of hay, cows not only give more 
milk, but of a richer quality.” The best seed comes from 
Riga It can be sown any time during the spring or sum- 
mer, It is often sown after wheat or potatoes, and 
plowed in the following spaing. It is sown broad-cast 
at the rate of fifteen pounds per acre. It grows with 
great rapidity, and two or three crops may be obtained 
in a season. Spurry and the white lupine are both an- 
nuals. 
Bird’s-foot Trefoil {Lotus corniculaLus) is a prostrate 
perennial common on open grassy pastures and dry 
places. It is a leguminous plant, equally nutritious as 
clover, and is instantly eaten down whenever cattle have 
access to it. It is one of the commonly-cultivated “artifi- 
cial grasses” of England, and is always recommended as 
worthy a place in all mixtures for permanent pastures- 
and especially for lawns, orchards, and shady places 
Medicago LUPULiNA is another leguminous plant, e 
fibrous-rooted perennial very common in dry pastures, 
especially if of good loamy quality, where it forms, with 
other plants, a thick sward. The pods are short, black- 
twisted, and arrayed in oblong heads. It is not equal in 
nutritious qualities perhaps to red clover, but is valuable 
on dry poor soils, vvhere, however, it is apt to^run out in 
a few years. 
Lucerne, {Medicago saliva.) — This is a well-known 
plant, which has been more or less cultivated in this 
country for many years. It requires very rich land, and 
deep and thorough cultivation. It should be planted in 
rows, and hand-hoed or forked between several times 
during the first and second years. It does not attain its 
maximum productiveness till the third year. On these 
accounts it is not likely to I e very generally introduced 
into a country where land is cheap and labor dear. In 
the neighboroood of large cities, however, it is a useful 
crop, especially for feeding to milch cows in summer. It 
can be cut three times a year, yielding a good crop each 
time, if the soil is sufficiently rich. 
Vetch or Tare, {Vida saliva.) — In England this is 
an exceedingly valuable plant-; especially on heavy soils. 
It can be sown in the fall or in the spring — the latter 
generally yielding the heaviest crop, though the former 
is the earliest. Vetches are principally used as a green 
food for horses. An acre of good vetches, fed in the yard 
or stable, will keep more horses than six acres of the 
best pasturage. They succeed best in a wet season, and 
on this account are not likely to do well in this country, 
though we have seen them in Canada and have been in- 
formed that they succeed well and are very useful. A 
good “smothering” crop of vetches, cut before they go 
to seed, are nearly as good to precede wheat as a summer- 
fallow. Morion’s Cyclopedia of Agriculture says:— 
“Sheep fatten faster upon this (green vetches) than or 
any other herbage, which occasions its constant use by 
ram-breeders. Horses improve more rapidly upon it than 
on clover or grasses. Horned cattle thrive surprisingly 
upon this fodder. Cows y eld more butter from the tare 
than from other provender; pigs eat it voraciously and 
prosper without farinaceous food” The experiments of 
Mr. Lawes on vetches prove them an enriching rather than 
impoverishing crop.— Genesee Farmer. 
[As a speedy and certain renovator of exhausted soils, 
we have in the South, the invaluable Cow Pea ; which 
is equal, if not superior to any of the foregoing, for our 
especia' purposes — Ens] 
