Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-01-08
From the Farm and Garden.
How to Cultivate Glover.
MARTINS DEPor, S. G., July 5, '67.

In accordance with your request, give
my experience in raising clover, which I
do more chcerfllly, as believe have.
the secret of success, though make no
claim to its discovery, for owe the sug-
gestion to friend who lost his life in
Tennessee, nobly battling for Southern
= hts. have wasted much labor and
seed in trying the No.thern and Western
system of sowing clover with=some other
crop, and only succeeded, in one instance,
in getting a 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.
The secret is to cultivate 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 we'll. by Ploughing
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 say.
ing the trouble of laying of.-sowing
land of nine feet. A new beginner had
better always try small piece of land,
measuring both land and seed, as he may
waste great deal of seed if he goes to
guessing. sow very regularly, by keep.
ing the two last fingers clenched, allow.
ing 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 coed iron-toothed 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 show
er falls soon after planting you will not
discover the difference, 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 cant we'll 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 of 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 feed
ing 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 foi 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 do
we'll if sown in the fall, but the winter
must be very favorable, though it is 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 in disappointment and
Encouragement. | regard half stand
of clover as worth more than any other
crop, and nothing in the way of crop
can be raised with nearly, if not quite as
much certainty as oats can be.
When stand is once secured, it will
last if properly managed, some four years,
and then by turning in the fall and cult
waiting in corn or cotton, followed by
wheat, a 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 all weeds that stock usually leave,
thereby helping the clover to take entire
possession of the land. ! do hope that
every man in the State will try at least
small patch, when he can see for himself
its value, and he may add to his crop to
his liking. The seed is worth from eight
to twelve dollars per bushel, 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 thus 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.
think have covered the whole ground,
and | have tried to be plain. If anything
has been overlooked, will fill up the
omission when my attention is called to
it. With my best wishes for the success
of your paper, am
Your obedient servant,
JAMES W.. WATTS.
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