Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-10-31
Fall Treatment Of Young Clever.
BY VIM. ]. FOWLER.

millions Of annual weeds springing up
in the stubble and often choking out the
valuable clover and grasses. This is
especially true on poor, thin and dry
land. 1.-THE soil is rich and moist the
grain will keep down the weeds till
harvest and the clover will do SO after
wards. I have seen many such field
where only here and there an OCCASION
al rag weed would peer above the dense
mat of clover, and yet 1 knew the soil
was lull of the seeds of noXious weeds.
LIT is wonderful how entirely clover will
occupy the land when the condition is
just right, and it thus becomes one of
the very best means for cleaning the
ground. The weed-seeds start but are
lsmothered down and the plants perish.
Too often, however, the reverse is the
lease 1t is the weeds that grow vigor-
ously and the clover that is smothered'
The great cause of difficulty in most ca
sas is too early and too heavy pasturing,
while the clover plant is yet young.
Cattle and especially horses and sheep
eat the clover as closely to the ground
as possible, and what is even worse,
their hoofs bruise and tear the clover
roots, inficting seyerer damage than
their cropping. As cattle won't touch
the weeds these are left to grow unmo-
Tested and occupy the entire ground.
The law Of natural selection does not
in this case result in the survival Of the
fittest, unless we accept vigor and hard
mess as the only criterion of fitness.
Whenever from any cause stubble
fields become weedy, the scythe Or now
er should be at once put in and weeds
cut down to the ground. IF they are
large they should be raked up and car
ried off SO as not to smother the clover,
which is peculiarly liable to injury from
this cause. This is not necessary on
stubble fields that are to be plowed for
fall seeding, but even here weeds should
be cut down, if for any reason there is
danger that they will seed before being
plowed under. If in cutting the weeds,
some Of the highest clover leaves are
clipped twill be no loss. 1t is quite
possible to have clover get too large and
forward growth the fall after seeding.
The evil effect of pasturing is manly in
tramping the roots and especially while
the clover is very young or the ground
is wet.
A year ago l saw piece Of young
clover which was a perfect mat on the
ground. and the first Of Septem-
Der it would cut nearly or quite q ton
per acre. The owner thought it would
help the crop next year and so let it fall
on the ground and rot without pa8tur-
ing. Now for the result. This cloyer
not only blossomed but much Of it per-
fected its seed. Going over the field
last spring, l found clover seeds thieldy
scattered over the ground as they had
fallen from the clover heads. But al
SO saw that many Of the clover plants
were dead, and the last summer, though
! what clover lived grew luxurlantly, the
crop was thin. The farmer believed
that the heavy SHOWS last winter had
killed the clover by smothering it. This
may be the true theory; but I thought
then and still think that the ouly clover
that died was that which ripened the
year before. Clover is a biennial, grow
ing one year and ripening its seed the
next. If we can prevent it from seed
ing, it may be kept third year or pos
sibly longer. If we can make it ripen
its seed the first year it will die then,
and be only an annual. If by early SOW
ing we make a garden radish or beet
seed the first year. the plants will die,
though the plants are properly biennial,
the same as clover. ...
| Farmers are learning to keep their
stock from clover after harvast. This Is
well. All the growth of leaf and top
we can get the first years. so much gain,
provided the plant does not blossom OF
seed. About the frsHofSeptember tarn
in feEyshead Of cattle, or pasture light
lay with calves or sheep. Cows are Best
except for their heavy hoofs, for they
] will go over the fields and eat the clover
blossoms as fast as those sweet morsels
appear. Take care however not to pas
ture too closely. Enough stock to eat
the clover blossoms will make the plant
grow vigorously and be an advantage in
every way.