The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1875-02-03

An Essay Read before the State Ag-
rica!tural and Mechanical Society
By Nr. S. G. Means, Of Spartan
burg.
Although clover as forage crop
has received some attention from
the pens of a few writers through
the different agricultural journals,
yet the great mass of Southern
farmers appear to be both Ignorant
ofits value as we'll as the best meth
cd of cultivating it. Having had
six years of experience in the cul-
tivation of clover, and having scwn
upon different characters of soil at
different seasons of the year, and
in different ways, your writer will
endeavor as concisely as possible
to give the result Of his experience,
and if possible indicate what to
himselfhas proven the most sue
cessful method. The following Or
der of treating the subject will be
adopted. Theseed, soil and its pre-
paration; time and method Of SOW
ing; manures used; its value as
feed for stock ; it's value as an
agent for improving lands, and its
Importance under the present con-
dition of things as an economical
supplement TO the grain crops Of
the South.
First, care should be taken in the
selection Of seed so as to get them
as pure as possible. It is some
times the case that noxious weeds
and grasses are introduced with
the clover seed, which are difficult
to eradicate. It would be we'll to
deal only with the most reliable seed
merchants, and when an unmixcd
and an unadulterated article is Sc
cured each farmer should gather
his own seed. This can be done
Though rudely) by cutting what is
known as the second crop, when the
seed have fully ripened, and run
ming through a common grain
thresher and winnoWing. The
straw, though not so nutritious
when cut at so late a period, will
yet repay the care and labor Of
saving, as cattle will eat it greedily
during the winter and be much
benefited.
Whoever sows clover upon poor
soil unaided by fertilizers, no mat
ter to what class of soils it belongs,
nor what may be its mechanical
condition, will certainly find that
his time and labor have been thrown
away. Any soil that rests upon
stiff clay sub-soil, within areasona-
HE distance from the surface, may
be made to produce good crops of
clover by proper manuring and
draining if necessary. The best
results have been obtained from
stiff clay soils, (the less sand the
better,) we'll manured. The soil
should be we'll and deeply broken
with narrow, diamond-pointed
plougbs, and the surface as thor
oughly pulserized as possible. If:
large clods should be thrown uD, q
heavy two-hoise roller should fol-
low; but if the land is just in the
right condition and breaks we'll: the
roller need not be used until after
the seed and manure have been
narrowed in.
It is often the case that We find
what is known in wet weather as
sprouty places. These should be
we'll drained Understanding is
: best) to prevent the severe freezes
Of winter from throwing out the
clover, as it will be sure to do, no
matter how we'll it may be estab-
lisEed in the soil, previous to the
freeze. 1t is best that the land
should have been clean!y cultiya-
ted for two or more years previous
to putting down to clover, and thus
avoid as far as possible those pests,
crabgrass, ragweeds, &c., which
some persons claim to be an advan-
tage as they shade and protect the
clover from the sun, but which ac-
cording to my experience choke
down and destroyit. Immediately
after the soil is prepared (Which
should be done in .September) the
manure should be broadcast, also
the clover seed at the rate of
twelve or fifteen pounds per acre,
then narrowed in and rolled. \
compound Of one hundred pounds
each of Peruvian guano, dissolved
bone or acid phosphate, and land
plaster, would be sufficient to give