Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-09-06
Clover and Wheat.

Clover and Wheat.
Where wheat is the leading crop, and
where it is raised continuously on the
same soil. there is nothing that can he
used to renOvate the soil like clover.
Of course. when it is possible to get
sufficient of it, nothing can equal stable
manure. This is the best fertilizer the
farmer can possibly procure. but where
wheat is the leading crop, and where
only a small amount of stock is kept,
the making and saving of any consider
able quantity of manure is impossible.
So that if the wheat grower would keep
up the fertility of his farm. he must. Of
necessity, have recourse to something
else. Nothing fills this want so COM
pletely as clover.
In Southern Illinois, years ago it was
thought almost impossible to raise wheat
with any degree Of certainty of profit
until clover was utilized. A good crop
of clover turned under in the fall, well
narrowed down. and the ground seeded
to wheat, rendered crop almost GER
tain, SO nearly So that farmers found it
the most profitable way OF raising
wheat. In some counties in the south
ern part of the State, where the soil is
badly broken clay, and where farming
profitably seemed almost impossible,
this plan of sowing clover, turning it
under in the fall, and seeding to wheat
Is followed, and two crops raised in sue
cesSion; then the land is allowed to go
back to clover one year, to be again
turned under and seeded to wheat.
Considerable expense for seed is thus
saved, and the land that is naturally
thin is not allowed to deteriorate.
There is no question but keeping land
continually in one crop, year after
year, without rest, or without manure,
is sure to cause deterioration. OF
course, good, strong land will stand
such continued cropping much longer
than thin land without showing the
effect so materially, but it is certainly
going back, and it becomes the careful
farmer who wishes to keep up the fer
tility of his soil. and to do it as eco
nomically as possible, to sow patch OF
clover to be plowed under in fall. OF
course it takes some courage to turn
under 4 heavy crop of clover, which
would, if cut. give the farmer two
tons of good clover hay to the acre.
But experience has proved. time and
again. that it will be profitable. and sue
cessful wheat-raiSers so well recognize
this fact that they follow this course all
the time.
The result OF good application Of
either well-rotted manure or of good
stand of clover. turned under. is so
quickly apparent with either corn or
wheat that one trial will be sufficient to
convince the ordinary farmer of its prof.
This year wheat was very thin in this
section. Many fields were not cut at
all. We had one strip that had been
MANFRED before blowing last summer.
This was we'll narrowed and drilled at
the same time with the balance of the
field When we came 10 harvest this
year the effect of the manure could be
seen to drill row, the MANFRED part
bein. so much better. We have tried
clover in the same way, and the differ
ence could be seen at a glance, the effect
was so marked.
If one can not sow large field OF
clover, sow as much as possible, and do
not be afraid to pillow it under. When
all possible has been put in clover one
can then manure to the extent of his
pile, and in this way the fertility of
part of the farm can be increased. BY
keeping this plan up one year after
another one may reasonably expect to
gradually increase the fertility of the
whole farm. The work may be slow at
first, but one must have patience and
and the effect is sure to
show itself in the end, and if the fer
tility can be increased, so will the prof
its of the farm be increased, and also
The certainty of raising good crops of
other kinds. With everything favora-
Die, even poor land makes good
crop, but then, as a rule, this is not the |
case in unfavorable seasons. Often on
poor land the crop will not be worth
while on good rich soil it
will prove profitable, for if the yield is
not quite SO heavy, the increased price
will generally make up the difference.
It is very rare that good strong soil,
veil cultivated, fails to yield a crop
hat will at least pay for harvesting.
Hence it is certainly economical to en-
.ich our soil as much as possible, and
blowing in clover is one of the best as
veil as the most economical ways of
LONG this.-N. j. Shepherd, in Prairie
farmer.