Watauga Democrat

For best success with winter cover crops for soil improvement, the seed should have been planted by October first, but those planted at once may get established before cold weather.

"In all parts of North Carolina at the present time, the soil is well supplied with moisture and seed should germinate immediately," says Enos C. Blair, agronomy specialist at State College.

"Immediate planting will permit the plants to make a good growth of both tops and roots before frost. This will not only put the crop in better condition to stand the winter; but, when spring comes, the well-developed root system will allow the plants to take advantage of the first warm days of spring and to make an early and rapid growth."

Mr. Blair says early planted cover crops will make more growth than late planted ones and will attain this growth earlier. This permits the land owner to turn under his winter grown crops for soil improvement in time to plant the spring cash or food crops.

The proper amount of seed for one acre of fall sown cover crop as given by Mr. Blair is as follows:

Crimson clover, 25 pounds; vetch, 25 pounds; Austrian peas, 30 pounds, and Abruzzi rye, 1 1-2 bushels.

These crops may be planted after tobacco; after corn that has been cut and shocked; in cotton before picking is completed; in corn before pulling the ears or after soybeans or cowpeas planted and cut for hay.

In sowing in a growing crop, the seed may be broadcasted and covered with a cultivator. In other cases prepare the seed bed with a harrow, sow the seed and then harrow them in. No fertilizer is necessary except on very poor soils, says Mr. Blair.