Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1871-07-07
The Value of Clover.

Glover is crop which has rather more
intrinsic value than any other product Of
the farm. It can be appropriated to three
very valuable purposes: First, for pas
ture and hay to feed the stock !; second,
to plough under to improve and fertilize
the land; and third, to raise seed and fill
the purse. f,st
If intended for pasture, turn in the stock
about the first day Of May, or when the
ground is firm, so that the cattle will not
lindent the soil with their feet. At that
time the growth will be enough advanced
to enable the cattle to thrive, and if it is
the design to raise seed. the cattle can re.
main on the grass till the 18th or Goth Of
June, and it will be we'll to have the Glow
will give the second crop more ample
chance to grow, and mature the seed.
When crop Of hay is intended to be
made, and the after crop to be left to 60
to seed, the grass for hay, as rule, should
be cut some days earlier; though there
will be some disadvantage in drying the
hay. the loss will likely be. more than
made up by the increase of,the seed, than
if left standing uncut a longer time. But
if it is not the desire to grow clover for
seed, the first crop had better remain
standing till the clover blossoms have be-
came partially brown. It will render In
to hay more readily, andthere will be less
danger in curing on account of the wealth
er, and the food will be .relished blythe
stock equally as we'll if not better than
VIXEN cut greener and in . slippery state.
iOf the advantage Of clover to the i'm
provemens Of the soil, the half has not
been said or told. In keeping up the fer
tility Of the lands. there Is no crop that
can be raised on farm that is equal to
clover, because. if properly secured. the
hay is the best feed for stock, and for
heavy soil it is the best plant that can be
raised to plough pnder to make the ground
loose and rich. Lime and clover should
60 hand in hand, in the ways and means
to ameliorate the soil, and together with
the aid of other special fertilizers. it will
60 great way toward supplying the de-
6ciency in animal manure.
Glover, to have the best effect in im-
proving the soil. should be ploughed nm
der after most of the blossoms have become
brown; then the saccharine matter will
not be so abundant as to create sour mold
when buried under the earth. But in all
stages Of its growth clover turned under
or left to rot on the surface is the cheap
est fertilizing substance that grows
The best time to SOW clover seed iswhen
the snow is on the ground, sometime in
the month of March; and the bestplan to
SOW it is to take pair Of horses and q
sled. fix piece of timber twenty -four feet
long across the rear end Of the aled; the
centre Of the scantling or timber to be in
the centre of sled /; then fasten chains to
each end of the piece and one in the Gen.
tire, to drag in the snow to mark off lands
twelve feet wide, by which to SOW the seed
two casts to each land. & ia 25+
Marking out the lands or belts is best
done by using poles. Set the 6rst range
Of poles thirty feet from the fence,
and the other ranges thirty-six feet apart,
which if run straight will make the lands
all uniformly twelve feet wide. and every
bout with the sled will mark off three
lands. Boys or men can SOW much evener
on coat of snow than they can on bare
ground, because on the snow they can see
how they are sowing, and how and where
the seed fall. Six quarts of clover seed
by most farmers is considered ample for an
acre; but if sown purposely to plough un-
der for manure, more should be given
If clover seed is not worth more than.six
or eight dollars per bushel. farmers can
we'll afford to sow q peck Of seed to the
oo,o for T. dolIo. and hoIf ~ two do1l.rs