“Most farmers have not yet begun to think about next year’s corn crop, and such a subject may seem out of the place at this time; but good farmers are now getting ready for another year,” says E.C. Blair, Extension Agronomist of the State College and Department of Agriculture. Mr. Blair states that the best way to make a big yield of corn is to supply the soil with plenty of nitrogen and organic matter. The world’s greatest supply of nitrogen is in the air, and the most abundant source of organic matter is in green crops turned under. “We can get lots of both for next year’s corn crop by growing crimson clover or hairy vetch this winter where we expect to grow corn next year. Either crop may be expected to grow a ton or more (dry weight) of organic matter to the acre,” he says.
This organic matter will be rich in nitrogen, gathered from the air. A ton of dried crimson clover and of hairy vetch is equivalent to 275 and 370 pounds of nitrate of soda respectively, so far as nitrogen goes. The cost of such applications of nitrate of soda would be prohibitive, but both the nitrogen goes. The cost of such applications of nitrate of soda would be prohibitive, but both the nitrogen and organic matter may be obtained cheaply by turning under a clover crop of this kind.
Mr. Blair reports that last year, in Jones county, a crop of crimson clover turned under increased the corn crop by 15 bushels per acre. This was by actual comparison with part of the same field that had no clover. The whole field was planted the same day with good seed, fertilized alike and worked alike. Good seed and good culture are necessary for good corn, but they will not take the place of a mellow well-fed soil.
From the front page of the Mooresville Enterprise, Thursday, July 12, 1923
No comments:
Post a Comment