The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-03-29
FARM AND HOME.
clover the cheape.t Fertilizer.

Clover the Cheapest Fertilizer,
Thomas Maddox sends to the American
Farmer the following timely suggestion:
10 his brother farmers:
Leibig says "thst in a soil where there
is no sulphurie acid, clover will not
grow" Ground plaster is the cheapest
and most reliable mode of applying
sulphuric acid to the soil But many OF
our farmers use little or no plaster. This
is one reason why clover fails so often.
Our farmers do not prize clover as it
ought to be priced; enough clover is not
sown; when sown it is not properly man
aged; 1t IS grszsd too much.
The value of clover, as 8 renovstOr, is
in proportion TO the growth of the stalk
and the growth OF the root II the young
clover is tramped by stock, or grazed off,
the development of the plant is hindered.
II grszed too closely, clover, instead of
renevstipg the soil, may prove to be an
exhauster
Clover is a biennial plant; it attains
Its fullest growth the second June after
sowing Is better than it is in the third
or fourth, or any subsequent year.
Tie shade of the clover, or any
othsr shade, greatly increases the pro-
ductive power of the land; the full
grown roots contribute probably even
more largely TO the renovation OF the
soil. 1t IL estimated that in q well-set
clover field there are three tons of clover
roots to the acre. Early and close graz.
ing may and will prevent the growth of
the stalk and the root.
The application of s bushei of plaster,
bushel of salt, bushel of ashes, and
one hundred pounds of ground bore to
the acre, broadcast, before sowing wheat,
or rye, or oats, would increase the grain
crop, and secure a crop of clover. A
larger quantity of ashes and bones would
pay better.
The Stock-Jourral estimates the value
OF timothy to clover hay as eleven is to
eighteen, for the formation of fat.
From one to FIVE bushels of clover
seed is made to the acre. Peter New
conner, a neighbor, made last year one
hundred and fifty bushels of clover-seed
on farm of one hundred and fifty acres.
There are two varieties of clover. The
larger, sspling variety, ripens about the
10th July and, therefore, may be mixed
with timothy for hay. The smaller
variety ripens about the middle of June,
when it ought to be made into hay, after
which, If not pastured, seed can be made.
To make seed of the large clover it must
not be grazed after the first of June. 1t
is claimed that the large variety is the
better fertilizer, because the stalk is
longer, the root is longer and the pas
ture is more valuable, because the second
crop does not salivate horses. The second
is the seed producing crop of the smaller
variety,
Ifevery acre of cleared land in Mary
land were set in clover, and not grazsd
until the first crop of the second year
was nstured, the crops of wheat, of corn,
of rye, of potatoes, and of tobacco, would
soon be doubled The increase in the
clover hay, and clover seed, in addition
TO the increase of the other crops, would
pay our farmers we'll. Glover is the
cheapest, the most reliable of all fertili.
zers, and yet you may ride from farm to
farm in some sections of our state and
OF see as much clover in ten miles as
you ought to see in one. Our farmers
" have eyes, but they see not" the
value of clover.
Maryland is a clover state; it ought to
mako clover-seed for export, yet our
farmers send thousands of dollars every
yesr out of the state to buy clover-seed.
one hundred pounds Of pure ground bones cOsts1 IS
One gallon Of clover seed 90
A husbel Of plaster, one Of salt, one OF ashes,