Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1876-07-05
How Glover Helps the Soil.

I How Glover Helps the Soil.
4 few DAYS AGO ncighboring farmer
who is more than usually thon@htinI and
successful called on me rs | was spread
inT manure for corn. He wanted 20 ASK a
question and began at once.
Is timothy poison to the soil? | asked
him how he came to think of such an idea
>. Well" saws he, IL have noticed for
wears that IN old timothy sod will not
produce so good corn nor so GOOD wheat.
/ nor 50 rood crop of any kind a a clover
! lrv. The soil turns up cold and heavy
! lud the corn does not get II fair start until
/ July or August, when the cultivator will
I quicken and enivrn it somewhat. On a
clover ley the soil IS light and mellow
from the first, and corn starts IL soon u
| planted. and grows right along. | have
hought that may be the timothy poisoned
the soil for other CROPS and had about
concluded never to SOW any more. bat
hought would get your ide;, on The sub
jrct'
There was plenty Of both timothy and
lover under our feet, and pulling up Il,
'uft Of timothy, found only u bulb ABOUT
lie size Of :, bean. and from that Il few
inc roots about an inch lonv The ground
va # and got most Of the root Then
liking hold Of a clover plant Of average
-i/r, pulled 1T that, and slowly drew oul
uIy sixteen inches length of Vi g"rou~
ap-root, fully ten times the weight of The
timothy. and, unlike that. l,cnrtrtjin9
Ir"plv into the >ub>o,l and probtblv con
-idrr;tblv mole WAS br ok n Of and lief IN
he ground Holding the Two plants SHE
" side, sud that they showed for them
-rlvc> The defects of timothy and the ad
vrntage> Of clover for the soil.
No. Timothy doe, not poison Land
Ills little rounl bulb. lying within huff IN
nch of the surface. does not impart any
tclrteriou> influence to the soil 1t >np.l
does not benefit it. \ timothy sod furnishes
mly atriling amount Of plant food ~ COM
pared with clover. Observe Il further diff
renee. The lone, deep root Of clover
strikes down and mclIow> the ~IIb>oil
ringing ny the mineral elements If fer
tIltv in which the sub~oll is often rich. II
lct- in LIGHT ami air. making III" fertility
f til" -ub-oil available Besides. when
he pillow cats this root of. it will unIv turn
,vtr about four and 4 half t. five inches Of
he clover root. The much LONGER part
viii be- left To decay in the sub oil form m..
vegetable mould which the roots OF
.orn and wheat will follow and feed upon
These deceived roots open Il dr. ,n for eur
wing down surplus water from the >uri.tc,.
nd storing it for need in time Of ,lrou.h
IhcV also open the sub-Oil 10 air, and lhu-
make lis fertility available The timothy
.rot Goes AMI can do none of these thin1r>
Timothy j. Il narrow-lcafcd pllnt and
derives most Of it, growth from the
soil. and is few iibrous roots rXhaus, lh.
oil t. the depth of or | IL inches from.
he suuf.tcr. In Il field of pure timothy
the soil beneath hi, mat of fihruu~ root
: ruld IN Iifcirss Water ~t4gIr,tcs in i
II wet weather, and the Light and .ir can
not penetrate it at any time. just Il, soon
t. he surface soil j. exhausted. which
Nlll he III from one to three years tim 1hI
will run Out. and MOSES and weeds, or
Jun" grass will take is place. BY p.ow-
ny up You can secure Il new surface and
Lrow timothy on it until that at>o is ,\-
Hu-trd; but in time this exhaustion OF
successive layers of earth viii include h.
whole AID leave the soil barren In,.
crop never does and never can benefit lIi,.
soil IL growing clover uuq;c~tiontbN
docs
Would YOU then sow no tmn Inv a'
continued my nrighbpr. On the contrly.
Ike to have little mixed viii Tie.
clover 1t i not tha' timothy Injuries land
fhlt makes 1t ohJ"ttI"n1blr, ii mere ' ,.",~
not h"Ip It. In sowing plenty of c,ovrg,
mere W. be orr''>l'n:tl spots where clio
yer WIFI fuI. In dry. hot seasons. tl'r"
may he pretty LARGE spots. Ga these
i'd r!ther have some timothy diam 20
I''.Vr the s"Ii barren; IN fact, vi rrc tie
son i very poor. II VIII rarely b" entirely
ID ire l n",h prefer i sPfinAiinE OF lIm".
tiny th'n I" have 1t grown mp 10 weeds; "a;
Tor iltidI mat are to be tiI"I, with Jane