Show covering meadow lands with straw covering old lea with the straw that is useless as fodder and folding sheep over it is a very old fashioned but most economical way of making makin a good m manure nure for the wheat crop we cannot call it farmyard manure but it is the nearest approach to it and may be spoken of under the same head this covering of straw 13 is usually laid on during 1 the winter or early spring when other aprati operations ons cannot be carried on it is during daring the summer months that the greatest advantages are derived from it not in its ca causing un i the more rapid growth of grass only but ahr 0 its causing the formation of nitrates in the soil there are few farmers that have not noticed the luxuriant vegetation that grows on land that has been occupied by a hay or corn rick the proceeding prece eding year now we naturally rally raily inquire the cause of such vigorous growth it cannot be rest only as the land that was not dot cultivated cultivate el through its close proximity to the rick does not grow such rank vegetation then it must be the covering which so alters both the mechanical and chemical state of the soil and prepares it for forand and causes the benefit derived by the plants this fertility becomes more apparent wb where ere the rick has stood during the summer months now the covering of the old lea with straw has the same chemical and mechanical effect only in a less degree as waa was produced by the hay rick it has also alho the same effect hs as what has been termed Gurney ism 11 this term was used a few years ago aga to signify a covering of straw or other matter on grass was by mr gurney and which was noticed by that gentleman to have a fertilizing effect it was merely the covering which gave the good result in question as was proved by the experiments of this gentleman mr mir gurney says A piece of grass land has las been co covered verel during the me day from six ilithe in the morning to six at night and azid left uncovered during the night for six six weeks another piece lying adjoining bad been covered by night and uncovered by day during the same period the first piece namely that uncovered by night and covered hy by day soon changed color put on a deep green and rapidly increased in length but the piece of grass covered by night and uncovered by day soon changed to a yellowish color and looked sickly and apparently dying 0 the effect produced by the covering of this straw has been described as resulting from the formation of nitrate of lime in the soil if so it is our cheapest means of increasing Inc increasing reasin one of the most costly substances which we purchase in the manure market nitro nitrogen en there is about 75 per cent ce mt of nitrogen in the air we breathe and liebig has told us that there is enough in incur our soils for many rotations rotation of crops this being so we ought to hail cross with delight e g lit any means by which we can cause it to become available for our crops it if a thick covering of straw which prevents the penetrating rays of the sun from acting on the soil does contribute to the formation of I 1 11 nitrate of lime in the soil it points out to us again the march that practice has got on 1 science I 1 have laid on coverings of straw on various descriptions of land and have invariably I 1 found that land that does not contain lime and that would donld not effervesce with an acid does receive little benefit from th the e application pil catLon cation but if laid on a soil that contains abundance abunda nire nize of lime vegetation ve elation springs up with that deep green which we see after the application of nitrates to our grass or corn crops nitrate of lime cannot be formed where no lime exists and this might therefore be taken as is a shadowy proof of what has been adva advanced aa a covering only causes a powerful f ul chemical action on the f fertilising fertilizing erti fertl lising substances of the soil whether it is theoti through h the formation of nitrate of lii iii lime ilme e in the so soil 41 or from any other cause it is possible that it might also cause the decomposition of the vegetable matter in the soil and the matter which is supposed to be thrown off by plants lime ilme X ime I 1 believe performs this latter office i plants for instance probably secrete organic acids and partially organized ma matter ater that require to ta tobe be neutralized or decomposed before the same description of plant can grow healthily on the same soil does not require more lime than many marly other plants yet it cannot be depended on soils that do not contain an abundance of lime I 1 think that this thia cause may be found in the action of lime on the secretions of the plant this tins matter which is thrown out by the plant during its continuous 1 growth might be of benefit to other plants but destructive to the plants that throw it off 1 I now come to the of meadows it is my practice to give my meadows a covering of straw annually this is done immediately after the re removal amov al of the hay or after the after grass has been fed I 1 prefer the former time as it prevents the par parching chill effect of the sun and adds much to the bulf bulk buik of odthe the crop whilst the following crops are not diminished by this early a application p li cation now iliavi I 1 have haye one on meadow that re requires quines eg chaikin chalkin chalking the earth doe snot effervesce with antacid acid which it surely would i w contained any I 1 lime in its composition on this soil sail a C overl covert g of straw has not the slightest effect except what is caused by enabling it better to retain moisture and t the e effect produced in this way Js is scarcely apparent this is the W want of lime in the soil but on the other meadows that contain an abundance of lime the covering has the effect of causing a rapid and vigorous growth the barren soils are thus made comparatively fertile I 1 cut double the weight of hay I 1 should without the application it is my iny conviction that I 1 should cu cut t little more were I 1 to lay my on the richest farmyard manure I 1 do not think that this effect could be produced without the action of nitrogen on the plants if so th this S covering must be a means of rendering ren rea dering the inactive inac tiva nitrogen available but I 1 fear that there is one little drawback I 1 to this treatment of our meadows I 1 allude to the herbage it appears to me that this I 1 treatment causes the coarser varieties var cleties of grass to overpower and destroy some of the finer herbage I 1 do not state this as being a fact I 1 merely speak from observation without strict examination I 1 hope that it is not so but that the starved plants which appeared to he fyler varieties are only become stout fellows through ough being bein better fed and better cared for another use to which waste straw can be applied with considerable benefit isto is to the turnip land if laid on the stubbles and plowed 1 in in the autumn it causes a beautiful during the following spring and summer and 1 probably the gases that are generated during 0 its decomposition act on and liberate in many ian lan substances that would otherwise remain inactive london agricultural gazette |