The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-06-17
NO. 38. j
ALL ABOUT CLOVER.
The Many Different Varieties and Their several
Uses.

',-'AD''N" e'hiU AHCAE 56NefaN
Uses.
There are about 16O species of clover.
Eight, ut least, of these species belong
70 tne Northern States, and there are
several varieties in the South.
Ot the clovers, the best known and the
most valuable is Trifolium pratense
commonly known in this country as
red clover" although there are anite q
number of varieties and species having
red blossoms. Trifolium pratense IS;
Diesnnlal, and as it is rather easily winter
KILLED, 1t is never safe to trust to it alone
l0r either hay or pasture The pasture
should always contain q variety OF grass
cs 10 provide succession, and also that,
variety IN the food of the animals whicII
Is essential to their thrift Hence. while
req clover occupies prominent place i'm
ofHery properly constituted pasture, the
oChef grasses IN such pasture will make
necessary iced until the clover SPRINGS
up lrom the seed. The winter-killinp Of
cioHer III meadows is moro keenly felt.
US 5here 1t Is properly grown, if GROWN
Will o'iicr grasses at all, only with those
nIVety low III number-that mature at
the same time that it does.
The value Of common red clover no ,
pasture or meadow plant is SO oenerollps
known that / need not consume snace
with 1T here. The albuminoid ratio Of
clover hay is 1:5.9. While the albn-
minoid ratio of milk is higher, the food
for milk producing animals should have
al albuminoid ratio of 1:5.3. Hence
clover is splendid food for milk giyino,
ANIMALS. AS result, COWS fed on clover
green or dry, give largo flow of milk.
and the butter made from it is of excen.
tlonally good quality, as nearly every
reader must know. Tho albuminoid
ratio of clover proclaims it to be O good
food for all growing animals. I have
found no food so really economical for
hogs as clover pasture; and L attribute
my exemption from swine plague for
nearly twenty years, though It has often
prevailed on adjacent farms, to my feed
ing my swine during the summer on
clover pasture, with q judicious mixture
OF other grasses. L find that the cheap.
est pork IS made by putting March pigs
on pastures as soon as blue grass and
orchard grass start, and keeping them
on pasture as long rs the second growth
OF blue grass continues, which is late in
the fall. During the season of it's growth
red clover is tho bulk of their food.
When grass fails, they are brought up
and rapidly fattoncd (but not on corn
alonc) The clover has built up BIG
frame OF bono and muscle, and as it has
kept the digestion Of the animal vigor-
Gus, that frame is soon rounded out with
tat. | would recommend this plan of
feeding swine to all who can adopt it.
Tho value Of red clover for green
manuring is not often appreciated fully.
The reader doubtless knows, that of the
gaseous clements Of plant food, nitrogen
Is the only one whom We need concern
ourselves about, and also, that to keep O.
liberal supply of it in an available form
within reach of the plant is as important
as 1t is difficult. Now no other plant
has SO great a power of taking up nitro
gen from the atmosphere as clover. It
gathers nitrogen from the air in COM
parativcly very large quantities, and
when the clover is plowed under this
nitrogen is held in the soil for the sue
cecding crop. Again the roots of the
clover plant penetrate to depth Of from
four to five feet, and from this depth,
reached by the roots of but few plants,
the clover roots bring up mineral matter
plant food-which is put within tho
reach of even shallow feeding plants
when the clover is plowcd under.
Red clover is one of the most import
ant crops for soiling, on account of its
early cutting and the largo amount of
excellent green food 1t yields.
Two varieties Of clover seem to be spe-
cially adapted to the South: Japan clover
is supposed to have been brought in tea
boxes from Japan or China. It will
scarcely grow, ! believe, north of the
Both parallel. 1t does we'll on soils sup
posed to be exhausted by cultivation:
endures the scvcrest drought, its long
tap root reaching moisture; is perennial,
hence retains it's foothold without re-
seeding; is much relished by stock for
either pasture or hay, and is also excel
lent for plowing under.
Mexican clover, though considered O
troublesome plant in cultivated fields in
Florida, is very valuable as green soil
ing plant. 1t grows rapidly and is very
succulent. 1t is too watcry to cure we'll
INTO hay. 1t grows very luXniantly, and
on soil too poor for the common red
clover. 1t is native Of Mexico and
South America. NJ. Stahl, in
Planter and Stockman.