‘° •-
  IER (   I COVER CROPS FURNISH FEED COVER CROPS IMPROVE THE SOIL
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1s· wrt. o. JOHNSTON}; ‘ . . . . . . . .
Fheltl Agent tit Atuortuiny A very important value ol cover crops wlrtclr Besides protecting the soil against leaching
_ is often overlooked 1S the excellent pasturage attd erosion during tlte winter, cover crops, when
COVER CROPS PROTECT THE SQIL which is furnished. All cover crops, when prop- turned under, add organic matter to the soil arrcl
L _ erly handled, furnish a large amount. of early thus increase the attrount of water the soil cart
The leful, COV€1` Crop, 115 used 11€1`€. 111€2}115 3 spring pasture; and tlte cereals, when seeded absorb, thereby further reducing erosion. Le—
C1`OP g1`UWU C1111`111g 1311 2111€1 W1111€1` 10 P1`0V1d€ K early, furnish excellent fall pasturage atrd often gume cover crops, such as vetch and crirrrson
protecuve covering to 12111d Wh1C11 0i11€1`W1$€ may be pastured thruout the winter. Kentucky clover, add considerable nitrogen to the soil
would 136 11316. T11€ CYOPS €01111110111)’ U$€d for ° I ‘ sheep growers consider tt good small grain for when used for green manure. (lover crops
this purpose are wheat, rye and b2u`l€y. C1`1mS011 fall, winter artd early spring pasture essential to turned under before I5 inches high usually greab
clover, vetch and other winter crops are some- profitable sheep production. Good fall, win- ly increase the yields of crops which follow them.
ttrttes used. II l€l` and spring pastures also lower the cost of It rrray be said that trying to increase tlte fertili»
The I·ZIIIIII.€ II) use COVGI. cmps III Kcmucky I ptodtgctton ol hogs, bcel, pottltry and dairy prod ty ol Icroppcd landlwtth lertilttets without tht
IIIIS been IIIC IIIZIIIOI. IIICIOI. COmI.II)uIIng IO the uct; y dectcastng the amount of concentrates use of cover crops is like trying to frll a barrel
IIISS OI SOII and PIHIII IOOd_ It IS estimated [hm ant IItough.Iges lC(IllIl€(I: In at leastIsonte cases, with the hung left out. I I I
Ibis IOSS In Kentucky CXCCMIS 35 IHIIIIOH CIOIIMS , t rye whiny resfhfgr ts s tghtly richer tn nutrients One of the principal uses of a winter-grain
IIIIIIIIQIIYI It IS IIIYIIIEI. Estimawd IIIM (WC1. II_ tran a a a o LIC same rerg rt. covcr crop rs asa nurse crop for grasses and le-
(l(lfl,fl(l(l acres of land in this State, or one fifth l'V11°1t€l’ COV€1` CYOIJS should not, however, be Sumes m Chilngmg 3 11€1df1O111 Cu111Vn1€d 10 5O‘I
· r .   , , ,_, . . I · ‘ - ‘ . . · s . cro rs. In this case, the rasses, exce rt, rerha ns,
ol thc culttxatcd land, haxc been so badly eio ed t 6 so G BM O1 tveswc . ley swu c c can _ I
as to render them unht for farming, and another e { stdered as valuable supplements to a suitable "1€11a1dS1F1$¤» $11<1111<1 be >01\'€$1 111 111*3 12111. O11_111¤
million acres are rapidly reaching that point, gram and roughage 1`ZlL10ll. Small grattrs may be $‘_’V€1 GOP. aud 1116 1€§U111C$ 111 1116 €?11`1Y $P1`111§2;·
Cm_cI_ Cm )_ III I ml HCVCIII CIV I. I I II _ _ pastured to a moderate extent and tlretr harvest- Ihe Cover (tml) mall bc IGM 1¤1j 1ml`V€$1 OY mill
. ‘ 15 ) ( Y 1 , (mm H OTH ed for grain with little or no lowering of yield, be ?€1`*1Z°11¢ me Iaflcf l"`2'C“€€ IS Irulucmll
perttnents conducted at the lxetrtucky Expert- . . I . ,. I· . I . , . ..   I I . .·.II,
. . ’ = or they may be used as wrrrter pasture and then XIIU (*1 11* l"““?% 313** dm C "V€1· €Sl)€U‘l l
tnettt Station show that they also reduce the loss . . . . . II [IIC, cmu. (.1. I ) mylkc. .I II€,I ,, TO ,Ih ‘
I. I_ . I III _I. _ ,- __ . . _ _ allowed to ntature for feeding down wttlt ltve- fl ” * "l S “ ·
t, I, ant food ry cacrtng. lhe loss of u1U<>g€11· WWI, ESPCCIZIIII, IS IIIC II ,QIgI]I9; down or `ihC·II
one of tlte ntost expensive plant foods was over ' ` . ` (· · . ` . “ .4
_ · ’ I · I·» · . ._, , ).r , .,. ,) I  
twentv-Itve ttnres greater on unprotected sotl   · ,, Ia·IIII··II1¤I>IIII<¢ai·EriQ;;$·..`”¤"·=1/_·* ‘·‘“ r°4·¢¢;,..T·i*·#  ·—.· , ‘._’ .··;  ·
that cover crops are ol greatest importance. The    ~£ "f§.i‘·
slotran used bv paint manufacturers "\Vhen vott     if  "" 'IIFII
· ¤ I I. 1 II_, I3 I I _     ·—··   I t... * I
satvc t te sur ace, vou save a app tes very orctr ;gg.~.·1;  gg?       ~» Y
· . · . . . "    *2*;:4:.5  · iy .   :» " —  ’@a:~’“¢f¢’ ~ *      K; ,;—:~, I i , ¤
bly to sotl. Lover crops save the surface soil ’ ¤     I; VNCOVERED i_
front being washed away   ti?"*2?'      $1% *  1 l c Q 1
. A . . . ·‘ .   "#         1 ~ UL TNATFD `
l·ront trrlorntattott Iurntshetl bv over l()(l_()(l(l   “ 3‘i"$j _ "’i]      " ¤  
· · ’·  F ‘;**Z‘Z?—~   ". .‘ )..!‘ "· - .‘. ,..e L  *’·7i ”., ·»  "
Iarnters cooperating wttlt tlte .\grtcttltural (lon-   *¤·,¢‘2ZE;)I  ’¤¤" “.   il \F4RM LAND I I 
. . _ . . . * . . e Ia.   rj; · _· .:+   ‘=‘·. , ·=§-1..* re~;~ . _ _,§f. ··
scrvatton rrovtratn trt Iflrltt tt ts evident that of *   .,.. ts        `§€<‘i°?-.    lull I e ."
.. " . . .  A··—¢¤ ’» - tw 4, 3 I ’»;           $‘s~~,.c{»:¤ _ , nrt/».,
.>,Iflll.(lllfl acres ol lattd tn Ixentucky normally _‘  gir·,,}?·      i ·.»!*°’l.§ee %¤1=*  R13 l,\ ` '*”" I /
used lor the cultivatiottl of crops that leave tht-  I;   I,-·%-;j,  I  
land bare  ‘    1 ·     ··¥—· ¢;»1*?=Y‘——  ` 1 I ·· (N —-——
- , ” . . · ·•   ..        . *:2* .. · sr sri;.   2f&»·.,,  : ~_ *? :;=¤·¤l¤l1L'“"“ 'Ye ·=*"
th I>t·rtt·nt. are lelt unprotected tltru the win-    ¢·  **.3    Ip. hey   ‘ ‘   `    .1.;.-;"‘ fb I-Z·   (e 142, ""’NGr
_. ·. I _, _ _ - _ I __ . _ »        -.&.  ..,,,‘   isa. ¥,v;..»·   ~€s;a  . ’.   . ,9
ttt. It ts t <.u. tlrerelote, that tlte growing trl  »;;1=.. as ~·.sIIII,I;»,     I   0_,-/ON ..-
rover crops ts ol prtnre tntportance tn lxenttttky s   f fw   .¥   ,   J- -  
soil-bttiltlin<¤‘ and A >i - o wr ‘i · · W; .   I
5 , `( I ( USL \ ng lung] [11)* ‘ " Caused by the lzrcl: of protective covering, Plug the hole with cover crops.
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