Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-08-03
Glover as a Renovation.

In this country clover is standard
crop. 1t not only makes the best and
most nutritious hay, but can be pro
duced without cost. There is no
doubt an outlay to be incurred when
seeding to clover; but when it is con.
s'dered that clover acts as a renovator
and actually enriches the soil, it con-
fers benefit greater than the expen-
ses attending the growth of the crop.
When cut for hay it leaves in the soil
a mass of roots equalling in weight
the hay produced, and the shade it af-
fords is of itself very beneficial.
The common practice is too seed
down clover very early in spring over
the wheat. The consequence is that
the seed is eaten by birds, injured by
excess of water, and destroyed in a
great many ways. A good catch is
not always obtained, owing to these
causes, and as the seed is usually linn
tied to certain quantity, everything
depends on the season. One thing
should be impressed on farmers re-
garding clover, which is to seed liber-
ally. Too much seed is better than
too little, and at the times of seeding
smoothing harrow passed over the
field, if the condition of the ground
permit, will benefit both the clover
and wheat.
How crop of corn can be benefited
when planted on a clover sod is a
matter often discussed. Glover,
though Astounding in nitrogen, thrives
on soils that are deficient in that ele-
ment; and corn, which appropriates
large quantities of nitrogen, thrives
well after clover, although the clover
carries off when removed large guam
titles of nitrogen. This may be ex-
planned by the hypothesis that clover
has the power of converting the free
nitrogen of the atmosphere into avail
able food, and this supposition is
borne out by the fact that from no
other source could such large quaint.
ties of nitrogen be obtained. A soil
deficient in nitrogen will produce
clover if it is supplied with potash
and lime. If the soil is deficient the
amount carried into it in the shape Of
ammonia and nitric acid is too small
to account for the large quantity OF
nitrogen which assists to make up
tons of hay to the acre with the CORE
spending amount of roots. And the
soil on which clover grows increases
in fertility, for the nitrogen had pre-
viously existed in some insoluble form.
1t is plain that the time would come
when the supply, even in that shape,
must cease to exist, and yet We find
that nitrogen increases in soils on
which clover is grown instead of d.
minishing. Chemists are bold in
claiming that no plant absorbs free
nitrogen but until they can make
known the source from which clover
derives it's great quantities of nitrogen
they must admit that there is to be
discovered something as yet undevel-
oped regarding nitrogen and its rela.
ton to plant growth.
1t is unnecessary to advise the grow.
ing Of clover for hay, for its value is
well known, but it is for farmers tc
pay more attention to this crop as q
renovator of the soil. No farmer in.
ours the risk of failure who makes
clover a speciality in system of rota.
ton, but the trouble is that they dc
not give every portion of the farm q
seeding of it, as they should do, in
stead of combining it to chosen loca
tons. On sandy soils the seeding ii
best done in the fall, just when the
danger of droughtis over, as the pros
poets of a stand will be better, but or
wheat land there is saving of time
from spring seeding.