The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1868-09-09
Red Glover.

The first inquiry is properly, as to the
soil suited to tins valuable plant. The
success of its culture depends, not so
much upon climate as soil--not 50 much
upon heat or cold as upon proper GOOD.
Give the clover plant its proper nourish
ment, and enough oft, and it will grow
upon almost any SOIL provided itbc not
wet, or swampy, or bed of sand 1t
IS one Of those plants which succeed, but
DO not paecedc, the domestic animals
Wherever one of these animals thrive,
believe clover will thrive, If enough of
the manure Of these animals be given.
This is one OF the wonderful provisions
ol divine Providence, tor over popula.
lion, whether of quadrnpcds or men.
There is scarcely plant which accom-.
modates itself to so great variety Of
climates rs clover. 1t llourlsllcs among
tho highlands of Scotland and Norway.
It also 2Hourlshes in the fervcnt heats of
Spain rand Italy. 1t grows well in Mas
sachusetts, but not SO well as | have
seenlitSgroWing on Hutchinson's Island,
opposite Savannah, ard in Baldwin
county, near the skirts of NIllrdge-
vile. But tic land on Hulchinson's $
Island was rich bottom, ana the upland
in Baldwin conntyNSas heavily manuod
by Mr.. DcLaunay. : These, and q num-
Der Of other instances, Which might be
cited, show that clover is comparatively
indifferent as to climate. 1t is the prop.
er soil, naturally or artiicially, which is
most essential to success. Persons who
say that clover will not grow at the
South, merely display their ignor-
ance.
Some soils arc mechanically more ia
vorable to clover, than othcrs-clay
suLing it better than sand. But a
sandy soil, with good clay foundation,
if dry, will grow clover, il well manur.
| cd.
Some soils will grow clover without
m, ure-as rich bottom land, dry
enough for wheat or good fresh upland,
with clay foundation, from which the
salts have not been extracted by cult
vation. But no upland need be sowcd
with clover, that will not bring, Of fair
| year, ten bushels Of wheat, or twenty.
five TO thirty bushels Of corn. Almost
any oak or hickory upland in woods if
the timber is cut down and burned, cx.
ccpt rail timber, and ashes spread care.
fully, will bring good clover. Ashes
are an admirable manure for clover. 1t
Is the general practice, at the North,
when clearing such lands, to harrow in
whet with clover. The wheat, of a rood
year, pays for the clearing. 1t is not
! broken up for corn until the third or
fourth year, when the roots arc all dead,
and the plowing is easy for man and
beast. This is certainly the proper meth
od OF clearing and treating land, where
Lhc timber is not valuable.
Bat, some persons will say, "Wc
',uvc always understood that clover is
an lmprover fiand" SO it is. But the
land must first be made rich enough, If
not SO naturally, to give tho clover a
good start. Then, with a proper rola
ton, ana proper treatment Of the clo-
ver The land will continue to improve
without other manure, and without re-
sowing the clover For instance, a
piece OF ground is in clover, which has
gone to seed. Let it be turned over
deeply with a two horse plow, planted
in corn, cultivated shallow, sowed in
oats in the fall, and the next fall, the
stubblc be turned over deeply, with
two horse plow, and sowcd in whcat.-
The buried clover seed brought to the
surface, by the last plowing, will vcge.
tato. Let the land remain in clover Two
or three years, and repeat the above or
similar rotation. The improvement
OF land, so treated, will be steady and
valuable, while, each year, it is paying
handsome interest.
1t would occupy too much space to
enter upon a description of the special
mannrcs Tor clover. Tho general re-
mark may be made that, any manure,
that will make good wheat. will make
good clover. The wheat ought topay for
tho manure.
a gallon of seed is sufficient for an
acre, or a bushel to eight acrcs-lhe
bnshel now costs eight to ten dollars
The best time to SOW the seed is about
the time of sowing turnips. Sown so
early, iiwithout grain, it may be cut or
pasitnred the ncxt spring If with wheat
1t should not be sown later than the
middle Of October If not sown by that
time, 1t will be better to defer il until
February and put it in with oats. The
seed, if covered at all, should bc merely
brushed in and then rolled The rolling
will be of great service; both to the
grain and the clover. 81
Ground hcayilYsmanured, will bo apt
10 produceSatlieayy coat Of crab grass
or weeds, after the grain is cut THE
weeds s@ill not hurt the clover, but the
crab fass should be moved before It
blossoms, !, otherwise, it might smother
l, the ,t9e clover. Tie, crop ofhay viii abun-
dainty pay for the moving. Persons
l,nacqnainted with clover, should not DO
discouraged, if the first ycar, r,;thes yonng
TOOK very thin, and scattering. They
may wear this appearance and yet covek
the ground the second year. 43r
Alter the clover has once gone to