Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1886-08-06

We are glad to observe that some of th'
more euterprising farmers of our county ART
turning their attention toward the saving o
their own clover seed. 1t is rather remarkable
that in a section of country where the necessity
for the use of clover AS recuprrator OF the
sol is so generally recognized AS ii is here, thai
in pas, years scarcely any attention at all ha!
been paid to the ga wing of the seed At home
but annually the farmers all 60 i"to the mar
kets of the neighboring cities of Baltimore
Washington and Alexaniria aud psrchass
their seed at considerable outlay Of cash.
ANY casual observer noticing this fact would
naturally suppose that it was either wholly i'm
practicable or exceedingly difficult topropagat'
the clover from its own seed in our soil ane
climate, and this seems to have been the i'm
,e.sion that prevailed ia past years to grsa ei
or l,s, exten, among our farmers. But som'
experiments made in comparatively recent
years by some Of our more snterprising farmeri
seem 10 have proved that this was an error.
Several of our farmers have ia late years grow n
excellent crops OF clover from seed saved by
themselves from their own crops Of the Previ-
Gus year.
Heretofore au important barrier to the sue
cessful carrying on of this industry by our
farmers has bsen the expensive character OF the
machinery necessary for the purpose OF clean
ing the clover seed and preparing them for the
process of re>esdiug Few farmers were able
to purchase the requisite = achinery and those
who were able did not feel the necessity OF such
economy so keenlv; and these causes, added 10
the inherited disposition of our home people to
continue TO tread in the footprints Of their an
c.stors, has prevented any practical steps being
taken in that direction. Now, however, this
barrier has been in great measure removed oy
the inirodu uction Of the improved wheat thresh.
er Some of these machines have clover hall
ers attached to them and the owners Of them
announce their purpose Of going around wher-
ever they can get work and hslliug out such
crops of clover as may be saved
When the aggregate annual ou'la. for this
one county for clover is taken into cohsiders-
ton, tie economy OF keeping this al home will
be recognized. 1t is estimated by Baltimore
merchants, familiar with the trade. that the
value of clover seed shipped to this county
from that city alone amounts in round mum
bers to obsut S25, 900 year. Now, assuming
this estimate to be approximately correct, 1t is
safe TO say that the value OF the annual purch-
ses in Washington and Alexandria smount 10
half AS much more. Thus we will have an sg-
gregate annual expenditure in this behalf OF
over S35, 600 This i: will be seen is in excess
Of the aggregate annual tax for county pur-
poses, and constitute an impoverishng drain
upon the resources OF the county which weu d
prove disasirou. 10 far more productive re.
gion than our own 1t is fact that the pros
porous agriculr ural counties Of Western Mary
land, not only save clover aeed enough for
their own use hut sell large quantities TO the
less snterPrising counties OF Southern Mary
land
1t is certainly time that this and many other
iMpoverishiug drains which are stealing AVA y
the substance of our section Of the State aud
he cut off II 10 the large annual outlay for
commercial fertilizers. the economy OF which
in many cases may he Questioned, there should
continue to be added This large unnecessary
outlay Tor serds We could save al home, jhs
cause Of the scarcity OF money among US, about
which hear mu' complaint, will no
longer be difficult 10 understand
Bv all means let our farmers save their clover
seed AT home New IS an excellent time 10
commence The seasonahi, summer has pro-
duced ahunlent growth of the second crop
of clover from " hirh the seed are taken snd the
present is aa exceptional time 10 comn-nse
this most necessary economy.