Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-06-08
Best u Sc of Clover.

A PRACTICAL farmer recently stated at
a club meeting that clover crop, moder-
ately pastured, fertilized the soil more
than it would if allowed to go down on
the ground, being neither pastured nor
mown. This IS question worth consid-
ering, and We think the opinion given
erroneous.
Stock, pasturing in clover field, if the
growth be rank, usually crop the knolls
and poorer places quite bare, and avoid
the coarser heritage growing in the hol-
lows and rich spots. Thus, where the
clover is most needed for enriching the
soil, it is taken from it, and no compensat-
ing amount of manure is left in its place.
Let us see how clover enTiches the soil
First, it is plant that derives large por-
ton of its materials from the air, and,
compared with the cereals, impoverishes
the soil but little, even when the growth
above ground is wholly removed. But, if
none of the growth be taken from the
field, the clover returns to the soil, in its
decay, what it has taken from it for its
formation, and, in addition, that which it
has received from the atmosphere. By so
much as it has absorbed from the air and
incorporated in its roots-stems and leaves
will the plant food in the soil be in
creased, if the entire growth be returned
to the earth.
But the clover crop is beneficial in
mechanical way, also. Its roots naturally
penetrate deeply-go down into the sub
soil, where they gather plant food and
transfer it to the upper portions, as the
stems, leaves and the thick fieshy roots
just below the surface of the ground.
Thus, by the clover, is the enriching mat
ter of the subsoil transferred largely to
the top-soil, where it is available for sue
L. -, L..
wise loosened, some vegetable matter
carried down into it, and thus made
more inviting for the roots of
other and succeeding crops. If the
clover plant is not cut or fed off, but
allowed to retain its full growth, its roots
become larger and strike deeper into the
soil; if il is graZed close, or frequently
mown, the growth of roots will be nearly
in proportion to the growth of the
branches. They will not be strong and
large, penetrating deeply, but fibrous and
spreading through the top-soil
The shading of the soil given by clover
that is not grazed is also highly beneficial.
Every practical farmer knows that if his
field is kept moist, cool, shaded from the
summer sun, and protected from the dry
ing winds, it is far better than if laid bare
by close grazing. The soil grows fertile
under the shelter; it accumulates nitro
gen; it plows up loose and fine; it yields
better crops. 1t is generally a necessity
with the farmer to pasture his clover
| fields, to some extent. at least; but when
his design is to enrich his land as much
as possible with thel clover, he had better
not pasture at all, but roll down the clover
when in full blossom, and let the ) cond
growth spring up, and also go down on
the field. One year of such management
is worth two of pasturing.
When fall grain is to be sown, of course
the best way is to plow under the clover
crop, as everything is then saved to the
soil. When the field is not to be plowed
until spring, and the stems and leaves of
the cloyer die, the washing of the rains ex-
tracts some of the salts they contain.
This would be a waste if the earth did not
absorb them at once from the water, and
some writers have claimed there is large
waste in this manner, not considering that
the water runs from a field with difficulty,
that is covered with coat of dead clover
stalks, and the soil takes up all its fertiliz-
ing elements. By evaporation there is
little or no waste-AmericdR RurdL Home
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