Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1881-06-17
Gn(unlm.
"sPEED THE PL0W."
garnyard Manure. Clover-The Best
Fertilizers.


[ AS fertilizers, barn yard manure and
clover are the main dependence OF far
mers Tn our State we cannot make
GOOD crops without good manure, or a
good crop of clover. Our farmers
think it an impossibility to make man
ure enough on the farm to manure all
the land they cultivate in corn' wheat'
tobacco. potatoes, etc. besides we want
manure for orchards, gardens, &c.
Next to barn yard manure is clover.
Itis difficult to estimate the value OF
clover. 1t is said that Bishop Clag-
gett first introduced clover into TINS
country as a fertilizer from Europe
There are two varieties OF clover,
the mammoth or sapling, aud the COM
mon red. The stalks Of the mammoth
grow 5 or 6 fest long, are larger more
tabular, sapling like, and the roots are
longer in proportion. The stalks OF
the small clover are three to four feet
long, are smaller and harder, and the
roots are shorter. An experienced
dealer in seeds cannot tell the one va
rietv of seed from the other. Wheth-
er the fertilizing power of clover is IN
the stalks, in the roots, or in the seed
is mooted question. Glover as fer
tilizer has great power. After a good
crop of clover it is easy to make good
crop of corn, or wheat, or tobacco, or
potatoes, &c.
A clover crop may fail because the
seed are not sown on frozen ground,
and therefore the seed are not covered
by the earth in the process of freezing
and thawing; if the seed are not COW
cred with the earth it may freeze in
the germ, or it may perish from droutb
IN july or Angus, . II cr'p n-av be
dwarfed or crippled - l't>'uFin- IL.
9afiV or tCt lliuCG.
Some persons SOW clover in January
some in February and some later en-
frozen ground; sorfe sow in May en-
wheat or rye, al,d harrow with llght
harrow, which is claimed to be bene-
fetal to. the wheat as we'll us to the
clover; some drill III ith re late in
August or in the first half Of Septen-
Der. s.Where there is will there IS
a way" farmers who want clover can
get it.
The crop Of clover seed is from two
to four bushels per acre. The price
is from five to twelve dollars per bush
els. The mammoth or sapling seed
NAV be made from the first crop with
out grazing, or it may be grazed until
the first of June, not later, and may
then Weld crop. 1t ripens later than
the small clover, and therefore i'm
proves timothy hay if mixed with it.
1t is preferred by all stocks, as hay or
grass to the small clover. The second
crop of mammoth or sapling clover
does not ulcerate the month and there
fore salivate horses, cattle and other
stock, and therefore the fall pasture is
very good. The second crop of small
clover salivates horses.
The small clover may be grazed un-
til the first Of July, and then make
seed; or crop Of clover hay may be
made the middle of June, and then
a crop of seed. The seed Of common
red clover is made from the second
crop. Stock ought not to be allowed
to Craze the second crop Of small cio-
yer, as it Injuries the crop of seed.
Glover seed ought to be cut before
it is too ripe, or it will shatter in
handling. The sooner clover is thresh-
ed after cutting the better.
A bushel of plaster, or common salt,
or ashes, to the acre, improves the corn
crop very decidedly. Liebig says, "n
Il soil where there is io sulphuric acid
clover won't grow" therefore we use
plaster. The long roots penetrate the
soil to the sub-soil, conveying the fer
tilizing elements Of the air to the sub
soil, and bringing the potash and other
minerals of the sub-soil to the surface.
The atmosphere is loaded with fertil-
izing elements.
Glover, if sown as fertilizing, ought
not to be grazed until it gets full
growth. 1t is said that there are two
and a-half tons of clover roots on
well-set acre of clover, which furnishes
a very large amount of plant food.
Some farmers think they can buy lime,
bones and other fertilizing and dis
pense with barn-yard manure and
clover. This a mistake. The effect
of all commercial fertilizers is seen
more distinctly, and the profit is great
er on land manured from the barn
yard or on clover fallow.
Washington Co., Md.
THos. MADDOX.