The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-07-28
Clover and Corn.

There is no doubt that corn has at
tanned nearly to its largest quantity of
production in this country. For years
Kentucky took the lead in the corn
crop. As her citizens became better
able to put their farms in right condi-
ltion and to properly stock them, the
production of corn dwindled and grass
increased. That is destined to be the
result in all of the now corn regions.
Corn is bulky and costly to transport to
distant markets. The increase and
competition in transportation will never
reduce the freight so as to make raising
corn for shipment profitable. There
will always be demand for the hog
and the hog product, and its price must
gradually increase. For finishing hogs
for market the farms of Iowa will CON
tinue to produce large quantities of
corn, but not for transportation, unless
the demand is strong enough to make
corn raising for that purpose profitable
But not half as much will be raised for
hogs. Clover is to become the staple
article for hogs, both in pasture and for
winter food in the shape of hay.
Corn or any cereal or cultivated crops
exhaust the soil. On the small farms in
the midst of a dense population, or sur
rounded by large manufacturing estab-
Gshments, there is such demand for
vegetables and milk at so high price
that the farmers can afford to Keep their
farms up to high state of production
by guano or commercial fertilizers.
Hence they can continue to raise en-
hausting crops. Not so with the vast
area of the Northwest. Not the rich
deposits of the Peruvian Islands, nor
the laboratories of the chemical fertili-
zers could ever replenish these vast
plains. When the continued crops of
cereals have drawn all the fertility out
of our soil, there is one remedy only,
that of clover. To this position we are
rapidly coming. The intelligence of the
country see and appreciate the situation.
They are rapidly conforming their farms
to the inevitable. Nature has limited
the corn era of this globe to positive
metes and bounds. And the period of
time in which this era can produce corn
or wheat and ship its surplus cereals to
foreign ports, is of short duration. 1t
must end. There is neither help nor
hope for any other result.
Clover by seeding its roots down deep
in the earth-from five to eight feet
briggs to- the surface the long hidden
(resourpes. of our soil. There is no kind
of grass which will make hay as rich
and valuable as clover for milk cows
young stock and young stock hogs.
When cut the right time and cured in
the right way clover hay can be fed to
hogs protitably all winter. 1t is true
this right way of curing clover isneither
generally known nor practiced at pres
ent. But fortunately mankind is dis
posed to learn lessons as they need
them. Glover is to be the great hay
crop of this country, but not the over
ripe, sunburnt, or smutty article used
now days. 1t is to be the great staple
for the production of pork, milk, beef
sheep, etc, and it will levy taxes on
science, skill and experience to direct
the way in which clover shall be put in
the barn, sweet, bright and nutritious,
and take the place of at least half of
the corn now fed to stock. From this
forward the corn production will wane.
1t has to. The fertility of the farms is
gong. 1t requires no vision of the
seer to fortell facts which are inevitable.
LOUD State Register.