Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber's Note: Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. Dialect spellings, contractions and discrepancies have been retained.

CROPS AND METHODS FOR SOIL IMPROVEMENT

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK . BOSTON . CHICAGO DALLAS . SAN FRANCISCO

MACMILLAN & CO., Limited LONDON . BOMBAY . CALCUTTA MELBOURNE

THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd. TORONTO

CROPS AND METHODS FOR SOIL IMPROVEMENT

By

ALVA AGEE, M.S.

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION ACTING DEAN AND DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND EXPERIMENT STATION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE

_ILLUSTRATED_

New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1912

_All rights reserved_

Copyright, 1912, By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.

Set up and electrotyped. Published November, 1912.

Norwood Press J. S. Cushing Co.--Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

PAGES

INTRODUCTION 1-11
In lieu of preface 1
Natural strength of land 2
Plant constituents 2
Organic matter 4
Drainage 6
Lime 7
Crop-rotation 8
Fertilizers 9
Tillage 10
Control of soil moisture 11

CHAPTER II

THE NEED OF LIME 12-22
The unproductive farm 12
Soil acidity 13
The rational use of lime 14
Where clover is not wanted 16
Determining lime requirement 17
The litmus-paper test 19
A practical test 20
Duration of effect 21

CHAPTER III

APPLYING LIME 23-35
Forms of lime 23
Definitions 24
The kind to apply 26
The fineness of limestone 27
Hydrated lime 27
Stone-lime 28
Ashes 30
Marl 31
Magnesian lime 31
Amount per acre 32
Time of application 34

CHAPTER IV

ORGANIC MATTER 36-45
Office of organic matter 36
The legumes 38
Storing nitrogen 39
The right bacteria 41
Soil inoculation 42
Method of inoculation 43

CHAPTER V

THE CLOVERS 46-58
Red clover 46
Clover and acid soils 47
Methods of seeding 48
Fertility value 49
Taking the crops off the land 51
Physical benefit of the roots 52
Used as a green manure 52
When to turn down 53
Mammoth clover 54
Alsike clover 55
Crimson clover 56

CHAPTER VI

ALFALFA 59-70
Adaptation to eastern needs 59
Fertility and feeding value 60
Climate and soil 61
Free use of lime 62
Inoculation 62
Fertilization 63
A clean seed-bed 64
Varieties 65
Clean seed 65
The seeding 66
Seeding in August 67
Subsequent treatment 68

CHAPTER VII

GRASS SODS 71-79
Value of sods 71
Prejudice against timothy 72
Object of sods 74
Seeding with small grain 75
Seeding in rye 76
Good soil conditions 77

CHAPTER VIII

GRASS SODS (_Continued_) 80-89
Seeding in late summer 80
Crops that may precede 81
Preparation 83
The weed seed 84
Summer grasses 85
Sowing the seed 85
Deep covering 86
Seed-mixtures 88

CHAPTER IX

SODS FOR PASTURES 90-97
Permanent pastures 90
Seed-mixtures 91
Blue-grass 91
Timothy 92
Red-top 92
Orchard grass 93
Other seeds 93
Yields and composition of grasses 93
Suggested mixtures for pastures 94
Renewal of permanent pastures 96
Destroying bushes 96
Close grazing 97

CHAPTER X

THE COWPEA 98-107
A southern legume 98
Characteristics 99
Varieties 99
Fertilizing value 100
Affecting physical condition 101
Planting 101
Inoculation 103
Fertilizers 103
Harvesting with livestock 104
The cowpea for hay 104
As a catch crop 106

CHAPTER XI

OTHER LEGUMES AND CEREAL CATCH CROPS 108-119
The soybean 108
Fertility value 109
Feeding value 109
Varieties 110
The planting 111
Harvesting 112
The Canada pea 113
Vetch 113
Sweet clover 115
Rye as a cover crop 116
When to plow down 117
Buckwheat 118
Oats 119

CHAPTER XII

STABLE MANURE 120-128
Livestock farming 120
The place for cattle 121
Sales off the farm 122
The value of manure 124
The content of manure 125
Relative values 126
Amount of manure 127
Analysis of manure 128

CHAPTER XIII

CARE OF STABLE MANURE 129-138
Common source of losses 129
Caring for liquid manure 130
Use of preservatives 131
Spreading as made 132
The covered yard 133
Harmless fermentation 135
Rotted manure 135
Composts 136
Poultry manure 137

CHAPTER XIV

THE USE OF STABLE MANURE 139-148
Controlling factors 139
Direct use for corn 140
Effect upon moisture 141
Manure on grass 142
Manure on potatoes 143
When to plow down 144
Heavy applications 144
Reenforcement with minerals 145
Durability of manure 147

CHAPTER XV

CROP-ROTATIONS 149-158
The farm scheme 149
Value of rotation 150
Selection of crops 151
An old succession of crops 152
Corn two years 153
The oat crop 154
Two crops of wheat 154
The clover and timothy 154
Two legumes in the rotation 155
Potatoes after corn 156
A three-years' rotation 157
Grain and clover 158
Potatoes and crimson clover 158

CHAPTER XVI

THE NEED OF COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS 159-170
Loss of plant-food 159
Prejudice against commercial fertilizers 160
Are fertilizers stimulants? 161
Soil analysis 162
Physical analysis 163
The use of nitrogen 164
Phosphoric-acid requirements 165
The need of potash 166
Fertilizer tests 167
Variation in soil 168