Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-02-14

TEN DN WHICH, ut hoLhS- II 81 N6AdllouS
But if our early sown seed should fail
We should not give it up. "If at first
you don't succeed, try again If Oul
seed corn fails to grow we plant again
and again. Why not do the same with
clover: About the first of May, if we
find our clover thin in spots, or likely tc
be failure, why not go over the field
and SOW few quarts to the acre addi-
tional.-mOStly on the thin places. BY
thus sowing twice we are very sure OF q
crop. If the season is not favorable fol
early sown, it will probably be favora-
BILE for late sown. Suppose at the two
sowings we use ten quarts of seed, the
cost of seed will seldom reach 81 pei
acre-remember, this is all the prepara-
ton that is required for the crop-and
we do hesitate to expend much more
than this in preparing for crop OF
wheat, while a crop of wheat seldom
equals a crop of clover in value. We
should have clover seed of our own, and
we will be much more willing to sow il
literally than if some one weighs 1t to Us
at about 10 cents per pound
Having our crop started much de-
pends on the care and management it
afterward receives. After the wheat is
off, not hoof should be turned on the
young clover, unless it might be pigs for
a few days to CLEAN the stubble. About
the 1st of September a moving machine
should be passed over it, having the cut
ter bar set pretty high. If the growth
is large We would better rake it up and
secure it for feed, otherwise leave it as
a mulch. This cutting seems to strength
en- the plant--it makes it grow stalky,
and the growth will be much more even
than if not mown, and the stub
Bile and weeds will be disposed
Of, giving us clean hay the next
harvest, and then our field will be cloth
ed in autumn with a beautiful coat of
green, it will be a Joy to look upon it,
as compared with the weedy brown ap-
pearance of the field that is not mown.
This latter growth of leaves will fall
down around the roots of the plants and
protect them through the winter, they
will be in prime order in the spring, and
we may reasonably expect great crop.
Having grown our crop, what shall we
do with it? By no means sell it, or per-
NIT it to be hauled from the farm. We
know of no way by which we could
more rapidly exhaust the fertility of our
farms than by raising clover to sell, to
be followed by grain crops, which, stim
Ilated by the clover roots and the con-
iHion of the soil, will yield heavy crops,
and those to be sold also. No, we must
keep it on the farm. We may, when it
las attained its full growth, plow it un-
Ter. We will thus fill the soil with an
immense amount of plant food, as we
nave seen, as much as is contained in
fifteen or more large loads of manure
per acre, and we may look for heavy
crops of grain to follow. But we think
We cannot afford to use crop of clover
simply as manure. 1t is too valuable
IS feed for stock. We can feed it to
stock, and if we carefully save and ap-.
ply the manure, our farms will lose no
amount of fertility, while
We can realize handsomely from the op-
sration. We would cut it as soon as
most of the blossoms turn brOwn-nOt
before. Authorities are now pretty well
agreed that our fodder crops should be
natured; so we find the advocates of en-
Iilage advocating mature ensilage, and
,ur crop of clover should be mature
when cut. This will be usually from
he Doth of June to the 1st of July. The
second crop we would cut for hay or for
eed, or both; we would not plow it un-
Ter, even if it be followed by wheat
But in that case, we would cut it for hay
ust as soon as it would do, which would
,e early in August, and Immediately
,low the ground, and expect as good a
.rop of wheat as if the clover had been
flowed under, for it is pretty well set
led that the presence in the soil of
substance is not favorable
o the growth of wheat. If not to be
ollowed by wheat We would let it ripen
or seed, unless upon examination, we
ound the heads were not going to ill
With seed, when we would cut before
ipe for hay. If for seed we would cut
when all the heads were brown, and be
ore it was dead ripe. 1t will then not
waste much in handling, and the chaff
makes excellent feed. We would watch
he weather as closely as in cutting for
lay, and haul it in as soon as dry; this
will save much labor of turning and dry
ng, and it is not necessary to rot it in
rider to ~get it hulled as was once
hOught, and perhaps was necessary, but
he machines of the present will hull it
f it be only dry, and if not bleached the
half makes the best of feed for any
hing except for horses, and on a basis
f hay at $S per ton, will pay all the eX-
,ense of harvesting and hulling, leaving
he seed clear profit. We far too often
ee clover chaff thrown into pile to rot,
nd the aggregate loss from this source
n the State of Ohio, must be cOnsidera-
le But now having secured two crops
We ought to be satisfied, and not try to
et any mere from the clover that year.
! After the second crop is removed a third
rop will grow, and the temptation will
e strong to turn something in to eat it,
ut do not do So. If you do, the clover
will almost inevitably perish the follow
ng winter But if this growth be left
o protect the roots it will seldom do so.
But we have seen that one-half of our
rop is in the roots. How shall we utilize
his? If we would obtain the most ben
fit from it we must plow it up and fol
DIV it with some crop that will take up
he fertility left in the soil. What avails
+, that the clover gathers up and stores
he plant food, if we permit it to go to-
waste ?-and it will be largely washed out
Y the rains and wasted, unless we occupy
he soil with some crop which will take it
p and utilize it; and besides, the effect
pom the mechanical condition of the soil
1ill be lost after few years. But this
lowing up of the clover means a shorter
citation than we have been practicing
We believe the three years rotation so
ommon in the Miami Valley and other
arts of this State to be a good one. This
5, first, corn on clover sod; second, wheat
nd third, clover, and then return to corn
gain. This requires only three fields in
he rotation They are all DrOfitahla