Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-05-08
.sGte sfarlt,
Value of the Clover Crop.

Clover is valuable. from the rapidity
of its lgrowth. But few months E.
lapse from the sowing of the seed be-
fore it yields, ordinarily, an abundant
and nutritious crop, relished by cattle
of all kinds.
Glover is an admirable soiling crop
coming in early, yielding two heavy
crops with good management, and in
favorable seasons three crops. Mr..
Stephens estimates that in Scotland the
average crop of green food from two
cuttings is eighteen tons (of {, 900 lbs. J
per acre. With liberal employment of
plaster and liquid fertilizers, We should
say that this crop can, in most seasons
in Canada, be exceeded.
Glover is invaluable as hay crop
when properly cured. It is worth near
-ly or quite as much as good timothy to
feed to farm stock generally. For
milch cows and sheep it is preferable to
timothy. For horses and working OK
en-, timothy hay is better than clover
hay. The usual practice, however, all
over North America is to SOW timothy
and clover together for hay, with fire.
qucntlyred7top added. Universal use
justifies this practice. Nothing is
more clear, however, than that the ad-
dItional to this mixture of other val
liable grass seeds would greatly in
crease and improve the crop, at the
slight cost of the seed only. But on
this point we will have something tc
say hereafter.
Clover in pasture lands is excellent
for all descriptions of stock. Hogs are
beneficially affected toa remarkable de-
gree by run in the clover pastur>.
Glover, however, has still higher
claim than any of these possibly thar
all of them together) to the affection
OF the agriculturist, in it's wonderful
powers as a fertilizer. In this respec-
it is unequaled by any crop grown OF
the farm and for this it is indebted tt
its capacity for foraging largely on TIT
air. The different ways in which i
adds to the fertility of.land are chiefly
these:
IL. Shading the surface of the SOIL
Owing to rapid and luxuriant growth
1t soon forms close and heavy cover
ing over the soil, that acts as mulch
in protecting it from the scorching ray
of the Summer sun. At the same tim,
that the soil is protected the weeds arr
smothered out, and the land cleaned
up.
2. Aerifying and disintegrating tht
soil. Glover possesses peculiarly Ions
and powerful tap-roots, that penetrate
deep, loosening the soil and admitting
the air, thus rapidly changing TIT
physical condition not only of the soil
1.Ipsaaa j 5q5 ,absoil also.
- -s.7-s-+ese+- harnica'
changes cessary to enrich the cart
with plant food. It's abundance of fe
liage enables clover to gather from tn
atmosphere immense stores Of case
that give life to the plants, which it
far-reaching roots send deep down int
the earth. Thus acloYer-feld become
a great commissary, collecting foo
from the earth and air for whateYe
crop that may follow. IS
4. By preventing washing. The clio
yer mulch breaks the force of the har,
beating rains, while roots hold the sol
in mat, as it were, thus preventing i
from washing.
5. AS green manure. Perhaps, nj
crop is so valuable for turning under
in green stage as clover. In addition
to the immense amount of rich vegeta
BILE matter in it's abundant roots, tn,
plant itself is extremely rich in all tn,
materials necessary to the healthfu
growth of succeeding crops.
6. As Especial preparation for whea
and corn crops. On this point DR.
Voelcker says:
"Al who are practically acquainted
with the subject must have seen thai
the best crops Of wheat are produced
by being preceded by crops of clover
grown for seed. I have come to the
conclusion that the very best prepare.
ton, the very best manure, is a good
crop of clover. x x ~ x A vast
amount of mineral manure is brought
within reach of the corn crop, which
otherwise would remain in a lookup
condition in the soil. The clover plants
take nitrogen from the atmosphere, and
manufacture itinto their own su distance
which, on decomposition of the clover
roots and leaves, produces abundance
of ammonia. In reality the growing
of clover is equivalent to great extent
to manuring with Peruvian guano:
and in this paper of mine | show that
you obtain larger quantity of ma
nure than in the largest dose of Peru
Wan guano which farmer would ever
think Of applying" Canada Farmer.