The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-09-02
The Manurial Value of Red Glover.

If ton of green clover is worth five times
as much for fertillzlng purposes as a ton of
common yard manure made by amin ais fed
on straw or timothy hay, and with straw lit
ter largely intermixed, then a good crop of
clover might be rated in value about as fol
lows: Two tons of stalks and leaves, estima
ted when converted to dry hay, would be
equal to at least four tons of the green mate
rial, and half this amount in roots would be
two tons more; the whole six tons multipli
ed by five, to bring it to the standard of com
mon manure, would show a heavy crop of
clover to be worth thirty tons of ordinary
yard manure. This estimate may not be
strictly correct, and it cannot always be, as
yard manure varies much in its value, &C
cordlng TO age, amount Of straw or corn
stalks used, and mode of heaping or preserv-
ing. But let the estimate be varied so as to
meet the differing circumstances, and 1t will
still be seen that clover possesses eminent
advantages.
The influence which the roots possess in
loosening and rendering mellow the heavy
soils in which they grow is one OF great i'm
portance-assisting as they do the diffusion
of the manure of the leaves and stems through
the soil In the process of decay. Those who
have been in the practice of working heavy
or clayey land, can appreciate the great differ
ence between the condition OF an inverted
sod turned over like brick clay, when moth
ing but timothy or grass has grown upon II
and another sod thoroughly lnosened ana
pulverized by the roofs of Clover, which
have everywhere penetrated through II. The
one is like clammy, unleavened bread the
other like the spongy texture of well raised
loaf. 1t is in this way that clover may exert
beneficial influence, either in the ordinary
processes OF cultivation, or In favoring the
ntermixture of common manure through the
soil, nearly as great as its enriching value.
Estimating the value of good clover crop
as equal to thirty loads of yard manure, cul-
tivators may easily figure which will be most
economical in application, including the
drawing and spreading. On hills, or on parts
of large farms remote from stables, the bal.
ance will be found to be much in favor of
the green crop. Every thrifty farmer manu-
features and saves all the yard manure which
he can: but in common mixed husbandry II
is insufficient in itself to keep up high state
of fertility in all the fields. A rotation, com
prising the frequent turning under OF grow.
ing crop, becomes absolutely essential TO a.
successful and profitable hHsbandry. Such
rotation will usually be found most advanta-
ceous if the crop is plowed under at two
wears of age. The plants will then have at.
jaiaed full size. 1t may be cut for hay the
first year, and, il cured without becoming
wet, will not only make an excellent nutritive
feed for cattle ana sheep, but the manure re-
sulting from this feeding will be of high val.
ne. Since the introduction of moving ma
chimes, hay tedder, horse.rakes and horse
forks, there Is little necessity OF allowing
crop of clover to become blackened and
spoiled by rain. The practice oftopdressing
wheat fields with fine manure applied in au-
tumn when the grain is sown is not only
highly advantageous to the wheat, but III
sures the termination and vigorous growth
of the clover.