Durham, June 14—A notable demonstration of the value of ?? vetch has just been reported by E.C. Blair, extension agronomist of the State College and Department of Agriculture, as found on the farm of W.H. Chandler of Durham county. Mr. Blair states that it is now becoming well known that lime is nearly always necessary in the growing alfalfa and red clover, but has not been fully appreciated for use with other legumes. This demonstration proves that lime pays well with some of the others.
In the fall of 1921, Mr. Chandler applied ground lime stone at the rate of 2,300 pounds per acre to half of one of his fields. He left the other half unlimed. Soybeans were planted on this field in the spring of 1922 , followed by rye and vetch in the fall. Today, reports Mr. Blair, there is a very thick, rank growth of vetch on the limed land. The vetch has grown so well that it has practically choked out the rye. The stems of the vetch are about three feet long, where the soybeans were cut for hay last fall, and about four feet long where the soybeans were turned under. Although the stems are matted together and bedded down this difference is easily seen by the many visitors to the field. And then—on the unlimed portion of the field, there is no vetch.
Mr. Blair states that vetch contains about five times as much nitrogen per ton as rye, so Mr. Chandler is not worrying about the rye being choked out. He figures that the legume has gathered from the air at least as much nitrogen per acre as a 400-pound application of nitrate of soda would supply. Potash and phosphoric acid are relatively cheap fertilizers and with the nitrogen added by the vetch and the organic matter that it supplies, together with some purchased potash and phosphoric acid, Mr. Chandler expects to make a record crop of corn on the limed land this year. He seems to have some doubts about his corn crop on the unlimed land.
From the front page of The Enterprise, Williamston, N.C., Friday, June 15, 1923
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