Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-07-14
The UndevelOpcd Resources Of
SOutheast Missouri.
BY THOMAS CALLAHAN.

Having spoken of plows and plow-
ing, something may be- said in regard
to soils.
The writer has not yet found any
place in Southeast Missouri where red
clover will not grow, If the seed IL
sown. He has found it Oh the tops OF
the highest hills, on their sides, In the
valleys, and OH the gravelly beach of
Black river, side by side with the cac-
tus.
Where clover will grow there must
be lime. All over this country, then,
the soil has q good basis of lime, 50
that no one need fear any failure on
the part of the soil to give a good re-
turn in the way of crops Of all the
grains and grasses Of this latitude, If 1t
is we'll cultivated.
The selection of your crop to be pro-
duced may he left to yourself, although
it may be always well to get in clover
as soon as possible, as It raises land In
quality 90 rapidly. II II 10 objected
that clover seed is costly, the answer
is, not very.
Plow one-half an acre ten inches
deep. Sow on it one-half gallon of
clover seed, and anything like fair
season that will give you two bushels
Of seed-enough to SOW sixteen acres.
Start on small scale and you can
enlarge all you wish.
When you begin to grow clover,
clover hullers will come in.
Ifyou plow your ground to the depth
Of five feet the roots of the clover will
90 to the bottom of it, and wherever
they 20 they fill the clay soil with veg
etable matter, and make a complete
system Of subsoil drainage.
Then let the farmer who wishes to
bring out to the best advantage the
agricultural resources Of Southeast
Missouri, or any other district Of coun-
try having a deep, strong clay soil,
carry clover seed in his right hand.
The grains and other grasses will come
after-especially the grains-in great
abundance.
In regard to seed grain, something
may be said i'm the way Of suggestion.
Since the general introduction o
thrsshing machines into the country
care is needed to avoid peddling weed
seed and seeds of injurious plants.
When q crop OF grain has beer
threshed there il usually rush for the
next station. Hasten slowly. II on.
man has furnished you with the seed
|of some weed which his neighbor hat
not vet obtained, time should be taker
to thoroughly cleanse the machine
and leave, If possible, every grain and
seed Of that mans crop on his premis
es. You have no right to carry any o
it away, and your nsighbor to whom
YOU are going will thank you for leav
ing it. The writer has worked will
, threshing machines forty-five years
, and knows how it Ia himself.
When the sprout end Of grain i
!, struck by the threshing machine, th'
grain is splintersd. 1t 10 not hurt IL
so far as flour is concerned, but its vi
tality 10 destroyed. 1t will neve
. sprOut Or grow. A long course OF clos
observation has led to the conclusion
that the portion 30 destroyed 10 a6ou
one-fourth Of the grain. II, then, 1t
= too much trouble to thresh out you
seed with fail, or tramp 1t out will
horses or mules, SOW one bushel and
peck where yeu expect one bushel 3
grow.
: As the season 10 approaching 10
threshing and sowing the writer deem
these suggestions timely.
Do not rush around hunting specia
! seed, unless you do not have any @
that class of grain. Men will adver
tise some particular kind of sesd-le
us suppose Of wheat-sO many bushel
to the acre. aud big price per bushe
. for the seed.
The writer recalls q case in poin
which came under his eye within
great deal less than five years ago.
: One Of the best young farmers in a
0 this region having some good, clea
4 seed on well plowed ground, as an VI
avoidable result rsaped = large harve,
of uucommonly fine wheat, which b
9 wished to sell to his neighbors for see
/, at one dollar per bushel, whilst h
). neigh bors sole the same kind of whes
:, for eighty cents and paid him one do
u lar per bushel. II paid him for his a
: ditional skill. but those neighbors 10