Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-08-14
From the Farm. and Garden.
How 10 Cultivate Clover.
MARTINS DEPoT, S. c., July 5th, g

MARTINS DEPOT, S. c., July 9th, Ut.
In accordance with your request, |
give my experience in raising clover,
which do the more cheerfully, as be.
lieve have the secret of success, though
| make no claim to its discovery, for
owe the suge ,siion to a friend who lost
his life in Tennessee, nobly battling for
Southern rights. have wasted much
labor and seed in trying the Northern
and Western system of sowing clover
with some other crop, and only succeeded
in one instance in getting stand in that
way, and that was on rich lot with a
thin stand of barley, which | killed out
the next Spring by pasturing too early,
and too closely. TIE secret is to cult
vate the land well the preceding year, say
in cotton, corn or potatoes, so as to leave
no seed of crab grass: (weeds do not
hurt so much.) Prepare the ground well
by blowing and narrowing smoothly, and
if not rich, by manuring. This should
be done about the middle Of March, and
Immediately SOW eight or nine pounds OF
seed to the acre. usually SOW by stakes.
thus saving the trouble of laying off
sowing land of nine feet. A new be,
ginner had better always try small
piece of land, measuring both land and
seed, as he may waste a great deal OF
seed if he goes to guessing. | sow very
regularly, by keeping the two last fingers
clenched, allowing the thumb and two
fingers to do the work. | first throw out
with the first finger, and then with the
other, making two licks for each handful.
By taking the ordinary wheat.sowing
gait, this plan will SOW about the right
quantity of seed. After sowing, | would
somewhat prefer to run good iron-tooth
ed harrow over it, but if not convenient.
it will do well without covering, as the
first shower will cover it sufficiently.
The only advantage that | have ever seen
in covering was in getting an early stand,
but if good shower falls soon after
planting you will not discover the differ
ence, though it will show if it is dry.
Now close up your clover field, and
let nothing into it until the clover is
year old. About the middle Of May,
when the first blossoms begin to turn
brown, the clover is ready to cut. If you
want to Craze it, let it get in bloom first,
then you cam: well kill it, but if you
attack it too early, and Craze too closely,
you are liable to lose your stand. If
the summer should be very hot and dry,
YOU may fear that your clover is gone,
but if YOU have half stand in the fall,
there is no cause for fear and do not be
discouraged, for in the spring you will
be rewarded for all your trouble. We
used our first crop this year, in feeding
in the green state to mules and COWS
cutting it with moving blade. We are
now cutting the second crop for hay, but
this crop will not do for horses, though
good for COWS and sheep.
If this plan is pursued, feel confident
that clover may be made to grow on any
land that has fertility enough to produce
good crop of cotton, though the richer
the better. In some seasons it will DE-
well if sown in the fall, but the winter
must be very favorable, though It's about
as easily killed out as oats. In very
favorable season, and on very rich, moist,
land, an Indifferent stand may be had by
sowing with some one of the different
grain crops, but nine times out Of ten
such an experiment in our climate and
soil, will result III disappointment and
Encouragement. | regard q half stand
of clover as worth more than any other
CROP. and nothing in the way of q crop
can add more to our comfort, and clover
can be raised with nearly, if not quite as
much certainty as oats can be.
When q stand is once secured, it will
last if properl, managed, some four years,
and then by turning in the fall and cult
waiting in corn or cotton, followed by
wheat, good stand will again come. A
little plaster or stable manure or both
will always add to the crop. | prefer
moving to pasturing, as thus you cut
away oil weeds that stock usually leave,
thereby helping the clover to take entire
possession of the land. do hope that
every mau in the State will try at least a
small patch, when he can see fer himself
its value, and he may add to his crop to
his liking. The seed is worth from eight
to twelve dollars per bushe, weighing
sixty pounds, and bushel will SOW we'll
eight acres. All animals, including hogs
do we'll on the first crop, but the second
crop should not be given to horses, either
dry or green. This has been very ia.
vorable year for clover this far, and we
have had two cuttings, from two to three
feet each crop. have tried clover in
land that had never been cultivated, but
never very successfully. Red, stiff land,
is most favorable to its growth, but it will
do well on any of our land that is rich
enough. unless very sandy.