Crops and Methods for Soil Improvement

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 Alfalfa and Corn in Indiana. 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Grass Sods ( Continued ) 80-89 Seeding in late summer 80 Crops…