Show DOCTOR SANDY SOIL SOll- FOR FOIl GARDEN PLANTS Difficult to tu Obtain as Good Yields of Cultivated Crops as in inFormer inFormer inFormer Former Years By H. H Y BUTTON In Charge of Farm Crops and Soil Fertility New York Date School of or Agriculture on Long Island Long IslandS Island N. N Y T. It Is a common observation among I the farmers and gardeners of many parts of the country that It Is IncreaSIngly increasIngly increasingly difficult to obtain as good yields of cultivated crops as were secured informer in informer informer former years with a less amount of fertilizers fertilizers fer fer- and labor This is particularly particular particular- ly true of cucumbers and cabbage andis and andIs Is noted more often in sandy soils than thann thanin n tn those of finer texture In some parts of the tate where the amount of clay soIls oils contain a large there is little or no complaint and in to some cases the productivity seems greatly Increase by good methods of farming At the present time the yield I of cucumbers per acre seldom runs I above while In former y ars as much as were secured without difficulty There are probably sev several ral reasons for this state of affairs among which may be noted the increase in fungous diseases and the probable Increased Increased Increased In In- creased susceptibility to disease but butan butan butan an undoubted factor lies In the chemical chemical chemical chem chem- ical condition of the soil In the parts of the state where the soil consists of a larger proportion of clay it is generally the custom to practice practice practice tice a regular s system stem of farm rotation which Involves at least one small grain and two years cars of grasses and find clovers There Is no question that the raising of grass and clover clovel benefits the soil by absorbing from It many products of the decay of manures and fertilizers thus rendering It more sanitary and wholesome for such delicate plants as garden crops In places where it is not practicable to keep a large part of the land In grass and clover the same results can be and often are secured secured se se- se- se cured by the use of cover crops andreen and green reen manures The benefit of a green manure crop cannot be be estimated In terms of nitrogen nitrogen nitrogen nitro nitro- gen or even humus added to the soil but some credit must be given for the Improved sanitary conditions of the soil after a green manure crop has been plowed inThe In The only one of these crops which Is widely grown on Long Island is rye which is at once the best and worst of all cover corer cr crops ps It Is best because bo- bo cause it will ill grow on very poor land or hind nd which Is exceedingly acid and may tie tic sown later in the fall than any other crop It Is the poorest j cover crop because It does not add any nitrogen to the soil and 1 If a allowed lowed to nako a large growth has bas an Injurious fleet on certaIn certa n crops which follow tollow It I hf sp two vo facts are not entirely due I to the exhaustion of Jh the water supply or to the cutting off oft of capillary water wat r from the top soil soli but are partly due to certain definite chemical compounds formed by the decay of the plant it it- it- it self R Rye e seems to have a beneficial effect on potatoes and is very generally generally gen gen- emily useful as a cover crop to plow under where potatoes are to be grown Crimson clover Is better known In northern New Jersey than in lower New York It must be sown earlier than rye and will not succeed on soils solis which are notably acid On the other hand it does add more nitrogen to the soil than is required to raise a full crop of corn and at the same time adds enough humus to the soil to greatly increase Its water-holding water capacity The decay deca of crimson clover In the th soil soli Is very rapid and it seems to provide provide pro pro- vide ride Just the right food for the friend friendly ly Iy bacteria which put out plant plan food in available form Most failures allures in crimson crim son clover are due to Co one of three things 1 Sowing too late which allows the plant to winterkill 2 Sour soil soli which seems to prevent the growth of nearl nearly all useful legumes 3 Improper covering of the seed Al At Althe Althe the time crimson clover is sown IL August the ground Is usually very warm and quite dry making it necessary necessary sary nary to cover corer the tho seed more deeply than would be done If the seed were sown In the early spring A crop of crimson clover r will add to the soil soll an amount of organic ma matter matter mat mat- ter tel equal to ten tons of stable manure and will by occupying the land through the winter conserve a n very large amount of soil soll nutrients which would otherwise be carried away in the water which flows over the surface Land which has become unproductive tire tive may be raI rapidly idl increased In value In this manner Sow a crop of rye as early as the land Is available In the fall applying a small top dressing of acid phosphate to give the r rye e a strong vigorous autumn growth Plow thIs tills under when the rye is just coming Into head and after liming it with a ton of lime to the acre sow cowpeas or soy soybeans soybeans soybeans beans at the rate of two bushels per acre These will make a aery very ery rank growth and seem to thrive on land where rye has bas been plowed under As soon as seeds have begun to form on the cowpeas or soy beans heans they should be plowed down and find rye or crimson ClImson clover again sown on the This treatment will do the more to restore re- re restore restore re re- store land laud health productiveness ano am than even a large application of high high- manure If It is not possible to allow the land to rest for a year the use of winter legumes will alone be sufficient tent to keep th Lh the land in n a fair fall state of productivity ity with only the application of moderate mod mod- rate erate amounts of mineral fertilizers The rhe greatest loss In soil fertility In Inthe Inthe the eastern United States consists In leaving the ground bare through the winter Any cover crop will prevent this loss but a clover will at the samo time add large quantities of ot high- high priced nitrogen 4 |