The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-10-22
THE Farm.
FARM MISCELLANY.
Clover as q Fertilizer.
O1OVSL do q \ "a 'AAA0S@'
WALDO +. BROWN, IN RURAL NEW
YORKER.

1
er on all small grain, and yet, except
when cut it for seed, make hut little
use of the crop except as fertilizer.
In the system Of farming followed in
our Miami Valley we need but little hay,
for every farmer has each year large
straw stack and abundant supply OF
corn fodder. which enables him to win
ter his stock well without hay. if he SO
desires. Ny objections to clover hay
are: first the difficulty in curing it we'll
rinening az it does with us early in June
betore the heat of Summer has come to
dry the land thoroughly and give us
GOOD hay weather; and. second, that the
work of cutting and curing comes at
the busiest season of the year when our
corn and other cultivated crops needall
our attention in order that we may have
them clean and in good condition be-
fore wheat harvest.
For the first fifteen years in which |
managed the farm | now own. bought
large amount of manure at the village
two miles distant, to keep my land up
to a high state of fertility. AS noticed
from year to year the fer'ilizlng effect
of clover, and compared it with manure,
Ibecame convinced that [ could keep
nv land up as we'll with clover as by
the purchase of manure and with much
less cost and labor. Ten years ago |
set apart twenty acres Of my best land
for an governmental plot, to determine
whether | could grow crop OF grain
every year and keep up the fertility
with clover. | adopted two years ro-
tation, beginning with wheat with VIII CHI
clover was sown, the latter being
allowed to make all the growth it would
after harvest being neither pastured
nor cut but plowed down either in the
fall or the next spring. l find that
unless the season proves very dry, l
can grow crop of clover to its full
development after harvest, and never
failed to grow enough to be Of great
benefit in tertilizing the soil. Our
wheat was cnt this year between the 2 LIST
and 9th of June; at this date (Aug. 2
the clover has entirely overtopped the
stubhle and is blooming freely and on
the richer parts of the field it is labor.
ious to walk through it, the growth is
so rank and tall.
Have I made nv rotation clear? Half
of This land is in wheat every year, and
the other half is in corn and potatoes
Then the part in corn and potatoes is
is sown in wheat, and that which was
in wheat has heavy growth of clover
which is plowed down, and this part is
planted in corn or potatoes. Thus you
will see that l glow three crops in two
years. two grain or root crops, and one
fertilizine crop.
When I take man out to show him
what growth of clover there is on my
stubble fields I am usually asked, "Can
you afford to use all this clover for the
land? Why don't you cut it?" I smile
as I reply, "Before I adopted this plan
I put twelve loads of manure on an
acre, which cost me SO in money and
three days hard work with team,
while this clover has cost me only the
outlay for seed and sowing, which is
rarely ST per acre. NV land is clearer
and more easily worked than if used
manure, and I believe that under this
plan get SIS for one, for value my
clover crop at that for fertilizing. BY
this plan I can fertilize as many acres
as I choose each year, while if I de-
pend on manure it is often impossible
for me to get half what l need, or to
find time to draw it if I could get it,
In wet time, when the fields are soft,
I cannot wagon over them at ALL but
that is just the weather when my clover
makes the most rapid growth. Under
stand, do not depreciate the value of
manure we save, and I apply all can
get at home; hat I no longer buy and
draw it from the village.
"But what do you do when you fail
to get stand of clover"' [ hear some
of the farmers ask. Well, to tell the
truth, that would seriously interfere
with my rotation; but 1 don't have
failures "How do avoid them?' First
i make sure that I have good fresh
seed, by either growing it at home or
buying it of neigebor usually the lat
ter); but if I buy from the stores test
it. Second-I SOW early on bright,
clear morning. when the ground is
n I