Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-02-19
The FARM
The Garllcn-.-Ti,e Orchard.
Clover Seed.


Too much of our Clover seed is very
carelessly sown and when the soil is in
poor condition to ensure its termination
and growth Now, if by little moro
labor and care in doing this work we eau
secure one or two additional tons Of clover
to the acre-ana we can do this-then
surely this extra increase Of this valuable
cattle feeding and manurial crop, will pay
US we'll for all our additional trouble aud
care. But how are We 10 secure this p
that is the question | answer.
The most successful method of growing
clover yet known seems to be to pre-
pare the seed by soaking the seed over
nigh, in weak and slightly warm salt
water and to roll it the next morning in
dry plaster until the seeds are thoroughly
coated over with plaster and also separated
from each other and then SOW them imme-
diately and as evenly as possible over the
ground, and after narrowing, roll the seed
down into the ground with a heavy roller.
This soaking and plastering of the seed
imparts to it, in few hours, all that is
necessary to ensure its speedy termination
and growth, and at the same time render
it unpalatable to and SO protect it from
the ravages of birds aud Of worms. And
the roller, BY pressing the seed down into
the ground, no; Only secures it the requi-
site degree of earth-hold and Of moisture,
but at the same time crushes clods and
makes the ground smooth for the nicely
working of the scythe. And if the seed
be sOwn on The young growing wheat crop,
after it is fully up, the narrowing Of the
ground will Do TIE wheat more good than
harm as the loss Of the few wheat plants
injured or torn up by the harrow, will be
more than made up by the extra-tilleripg
and rapidity of growth produced in the
crop by such narrowing. But many SOW
their clover seed after the sowing and last
narrowing Of the wheat seed and then roll
it down. And they who have tried this
method of preparing and sowing clover
seed inform Us tina. their clover crop never
fails but produces uncommorly we'll.
Be sure, however, that you also use
plenty of seed, for it is miserable economy
to lose $40 or $50 worth of hay or pas.
tBlefaEr r'br el0Setseea In the spring of
1850 farmer (who give. an ucrvuus Of
his experiment in the Albany Cultigator)
sowed one of his fields at the rate of one
Jushel Of seed, being Timothy and Clover
seed mixed in equal quantities,to to the acre.
And he informs Us that in less than two
months the field afforded q prodigious
amount of pasturage and fully double as
much throughout the season as that Of
ordinary pasture grounds, and that this
same field in 1852 yielded him more than
three and haLf tons of superior hay to the
acre and an aftermath or second crop Of
ton and a haIf to the acre, or five tons of
hay per acre in one year, and then too on
ground of but ordinary fertility There
fore let it be remembered that plenty of
seed brings plenty of hay and pasture.
Every farmer also may and ought to
grow his own clover seed and so have good
and clean seed instead of annually buying
md spreading over his fields seeds that
ire often of inferior quality, and what is
till worse, at times intermixed with seeds
# the most injurious and troublesome
weeds. And the same remark applies
With like force to Timothy and other seeds.
December, 1857. WEST BRANCH
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