The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-01-28

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The Cultivation, of CloYer-7Its. Value as "a
sds ic .. go. s9uttlh1erTn. 2 uttl1aT. Crop p .,,:. ~
AN A:s'1 ESSAY READ BEFORE THE STATE AeR1cUL-
-. '..TuRAL AND. MECHANICAL SOCIETY BY 49,,
| .;.J s, G. MEANS, OF. sPARTA,N?BBU7RG. ?Ba7 ....,
I Although clover as forage crop has received
some attention from the pens Of g few writers
through the different agricultural Journals, yet
the great mass of Southern farmers appear to
he both iguofaat of its value as well asthe best
method 81 clltiaating IT. Having had SIX
years Of Experience id the eultvationo OF clover,
and having :sown' upon different characters OF
soil at different seasons of che year, and IN dlf-
Iferent ways, your writer will endeavor as con-
|ciseiy rs possible TO give the result of his ex-
!pefience, and if possible indicate what to him:
self has proyen the most successful method.
The following order Of treating the subject
will be adopted :JTThe seed, soil and its pre-
lparation time and method Sof sowing; ma
.nures used ;:its value .as feed for stock; lis
value as an agent for improving lands, and its
importance UNDER the present condition OF
things cas- an economical. supplement- to the
grain crops of the SouthIo;' y'e .:,..,l
First; care should be taken in the selection
/ of, seed 80 as to get them as pure as possible.
|: It is sometimes the, case that ;n0xious weeds
and grasses are introduced with the clover seed,
which are difficult;t to eradicate. 1t would be
we'll to deal only with the most reliable seed
merchants, and when an eunmixed and an un-
adulterated article is secured 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 running through a common grain
thresher and winnowing. The straw, though
not so nutritious when cut at SO late a'perlod,
williyet repay the care and labor Of fisavng, as
cattle will eat itgreedily during the winter and
be much benefited. ..r,...
Whoever, soWs clover, upon a poor SOIL un, l.,
aided by fertilizers, no matter to what class OF
soils it belongs, nor what may be it's mechanl'
cal condition, will Certainly find that his time
and labor have Been thrown away. Any SOIL
that rests upon stiff clay ',sub-soil, within
reasonable distance from the surface, may be
made to produce good crops of clover by proper
manuring and draining If necessary. The best
(the less sand the better,) well manured. The
soil should be well and deeply broken with
harrow, diamond pointed pillow, and the surface
as thoroughly pulverized as possible. If large
clods. should be thrown up, a heavy two-horse
roller should follow 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 ma
nure. 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 itmay be established
in the soil previous to the freeze. > 1t IS best
that the land should have been cleanly culti-
waited for two or more years previous to putting
down in clover, and thus avoid as far AS posi-
BILE those pests, crabgrass ragweeds, &C., which
some persons claim to be an advantage as they
shade and protect the clover from the sun, but
which, according to my experience, choke down
and destroyit. Immediately after the soil IS
prepaned,( (which should be done in September)
the manure should be sowed broadcast, also the
clover seed at the rate of twelve or fifteen
pounds per acre, then narrowed in and rolled:
A compound Of one hundred pounds each OF
Peruvian guano, dissolved bone or acid phos-
phate, and land plaster, would be sufficient to
give the plant vigorous growth, and so estab-
fsh il as to resist the freezes of winter. Stable
manure, cotton seed, ashes, lime, and in fine
almost. anything that tends to. enrich the soil,
will be found. to- be beneficial to clover.
: a Less amount Of seed might be used if they
were all perfect and, equally distributed, but
practically we lind that fifteen pounds is not
too much, as the greatest desideratum is to Sc
cure good "catch." Again, when the clover
is thckly ."set' upon the soil, the yield will be
greater and the stalk smaller, consequently it.
will Genre" better and make better hay, 1t
has been the practice of some persons to mix
the seed With ashes, lime, sand or aofne other
divisor in order't to sow regularly, butI have
found that any one accustomed to sowing small
grain welt can soon learn -to distribute clover
seed regularly and equally without other aid
II would be we'll to select quiet time, when
the wind is not blowing, for sowing the seed.
Faiquhar's iron-toothed, expanding harrow is
admirably, adapted to the work Of pulyeri2zilnag
the soil and turning in the seed and fertilizer.
A simple roller can be CONSTRUCTED by, inserting
in the ends of section Of a log, four Or six
feet in length by one and half to two feet in
diameter, gudgeons, to which shafts or tongue
can be attached, as the power to overcome the
obstipacy of the .clods may be found necessary.
All good gardeners, are aware Of the necessity
of eompacting the soil upon small seeds in or
derto produce simultaneous and perfect germi-
nation. The same rule is applicable to clover
seed ..M,..,..
Clover seed can often be narrowed in, or
other small grain, in February or March, with
good results-or it would yet be better, if not
down until then, to sow it alone. When sown
in the spring, or other small grain, its growth
is dwarfed by the superior growth of the other,
and when the other is cut off, sickly growth
of clover, unused to the sun, is left to dwindle
and die, under the influence of a hot harvest
sun, unless the seasons are peculiarly favorable
stances, the grasses and weeds have an equal
if not better start than the clover, and will
retard its growth, if not endanger its exis-
tence '''''' ''-. '' ." '' go 4''
Glover sown in September without any other
grain will give. good yield the following
spring, and if intended for hay should never
be pastured at any time.
In most sections of the South clover is not
needed as pasture as the wild clover and
broomsedge upon our cold fields" afford the