The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-11-13
COWS AND CLOVER,

Norman Spar, in an address before
the Canadian Dairyman's Association
at their late convention at Ingersoll,
ave the following twelve reasons
ior sowing the large clover: Every
COW is manufacturing establish
ment, producing quantity and quality
Vi mix In exact proportion to the
quantity and quality of food AID wa
ter she consumes, varied by the
amount OF labor she has to perform
to obtain her living, the suffering
she has to endure from excessive
heat, cold, hunger, thirst or cruelty.
from whatever source it comes. Her
taste Graves a variety of food of
suitable qualities to produce a good
quality OF milk. While she may be
forced, in order to sustain dear life.
to eat and drink food and water so
filthy and unsuited to her nature and
tastes, as to produce disease in her
whole system, her milk feeling it az
quick as anything else, it is believed
If left to choice she never woult
learn from habit to drink impure,
unhealthy water, nor eat wild leaves,
bush, or weeds of any description,
or rotten mouldy fodder, or decayed
apples, pumpkins, or roots of any
kind, while she could get all she
desires Of those articles in perfectly
healthy state of preservation.
Now let it it be understood that
every wild leaf she eats, every vile
weed in her pasture vitiates her taste,
and lessons the quantity and impairs
the quality of milk. This being my
experience with an extensive ac-
qualntance with cows and milk, |
have no doubt of the utility of the
largest kind of clover on which to
lay the foundation of the best pas
ture for dairy stock.
lst. Because it takes full posses
sion of the soil and leaves no chance
for weeds to grow to any extent, to
impair the quality of milk.
I'd. Because 1t furnishes the larg-
est quantity of good nourishing food
tor summer or winter use of any of
the grasses the soil can produce,
when the operator fully understands
the trade Of managing it properly.
Sd. Because clover is the only
fertilizing crop the farmer ever
raises, and the larger the kind he
raises the faster he fertilizes each
acre thus appropriated.
4th. Because every crop that is to
follow after the land is plowed again,
is decidedly heavier and better than
it is on equally as good soil where
the smaller clover has been raised,
and very long distance ahead of
any of the other grasses ever raised.
5th. Because the land is SO much
easier cultivated where large crops
of clover have but recently been fed
off, or removed from the soil in any
other manner.
9th. Because when raised with
timothy, as is usually done, both are
ready to be pastured or cut for hay
at the same time, which removes a
! very great objection to the medium
and small kinds of clover.
| 7th. Because it lives about three
times as long as any other red clover,
and will grow with proper care on
the poorest land that will produce
any of the other grasses or grain
enough to half pay for cultivating
the soil.
sth. Because it gives the bes,
yield of seed for any term of yours,
furnishes the best and largest amount
Of pasture and hay, when the seasons
are unusually dry, its roots penetrat
ing the soil so deep that a drought
disturbs it as little as it does the trees
of the forest.
9th. Because as the seed is gener
ally sold, we can put the same mum
Der of seeds on an acre at less cost
for seed tn an of the medium or small
kinds of clover, the seed being &C
much smaller that the price ha.
always been the lowest when estim
F ated by numbers of seed instead O
by weight.
10th. Because tie crop is so little
affected by dry seasons, that the
cows are sure to have good supply
of good feed in summer, and good
nutritious fodder in winter, the fibre
OF the stalk being so much les'
woody to masticate thap the sam,
size stalk of any of the other kinds
OF clover or grasses.
1lth. Because on any soil i
branches from the stalk five times al
much as either of the other kind O
red clover, giving on rich land al
almost incredible number of branches
and heads on every stalk the root
puts forth, and never dries up by bein.
fed of, as the medium clover does
but keeps right on branching, ant
growing from the main old stock til
late in the season, unless they ar,
cut off near the roots.
18th. Because clover is the riches
food of all the grasses for stock o
any description, is the most lik,
grain OF any, is the only kind o
grass, cultivated which makes cattl,
bloat in consequence of eating TOT
much at time; thus showing tha
proper care is just as necessary il
clover as in usisg corn.