The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-08-13
Clover Without Manure a Faii
ure.


On a hill side, sloping alodersteiy 10 =
ards the southeast, on The opposite sice
of the river, bot in plain view from my
house. three teams are now picVing
rye s,ubbie field containing about ~
acres. to be sown, as / Isuppose, again with
rye Being such prominent ooleci N
the landscape. I know the history Of tnAi
sel5 a. aeii rs 1 knox that Of my own
farm I, has heen cleared about % y afs-
ItwAs light clearinc, .he timber oeins
chiefly pitch pine, iHterspsrsed win oak
and hickory. Its location being near the
old Indian village Of Friedenshutten,
which was q station Of the Aoravian
missionaries, il is probable that i was
onc. eut over for fire wood, which would
account for the trees being no larger
on the surface were good many detAeii-
ed rocks Of gray lime, composed almost
entirely OF small shells oemented togetnef
and which were mostly craEn OF ana
burned in kiln before the land was
cleared. leaving il quite free from stones.
It's sheltered situation, not being exposed
to the northwest blast Of winter, allowed
the snow 10 lie on It till melted OF IN
the spring. and FOR many years after u
was cleared il produced splendid crops
Of wheat without single failure that
remember.
Judge Stafford the owner, was good
farmer, anG during his lifetime, or as
long as he farmei il himself, the land
was as well TILED and as well taken care
Of as land can be without the applica-
ton Of manure. After taxing of 9 crop
of wheat. the Geld was usually seeded
with clover. which was sometimes NOW
ea. but usually pasturei, and the land
was allosed a reasonable time fer rest
aad recnpera,lon before It was again dis
turbei bv the piow. Long before tie
iudee's death. in about twenty-five years
nf.er the field was cleared. ] noticed that
!. was difficult . ostaiH a good stand Of
cover. There woall be many spots en-
which there did not appear to be any
clover. and when there was catch there
was by no means Q vigorous growth.
The land was getting "ured" and sick
The clover told the story in the most
positive language, and hung out the slg-
nal Of distress T. the yieE Of every OBJ
server. That the soil was naturally good
ami strong, It had given abundant proof.
IT was not heavy land that favors the
frost in heaving the clover roots ont Of
the ground and leaving them bare Its
sheltered situation was favorable for
clover as well as wheat but The clover
could no longer find the fatness it feeds
on even by searching with its deep roots
in every particle Of the sub-soii.
When the juige's health failed, the
field was rented at 80 per acre, and the
renter sunmer-followea It by plowing
three times, doing his work well, sowing
in good season, and obtained a good crop
of wheat. lie followed the wheat with
rye, and had but moderate yield. he
tried corn, and the corn was very poor.
lie sowed it with oats. and they were
hardly tall enough to bind. Il was again
seeded to clover. but il only grew IN spots
and these we're feeble and siekly. On
half the field there was nothing to speak
of-neither clover, grass nor weeds. The
best spots were cut with the machine
the remainder moved around and lei
because it was not worth moving. i
was tried again with wheat last year, ant
the crop was scarcely worth harvesting
The wheat was followed with rye, anc
the rye this year was Of stunted growth
slender straw and short heads. A gooC
crop Of rye next year is hardly to be ex
pecied, and dying from the past, a goo,
catch Of clover, without the application
of some fertilizer, is utterly impossible
Waldo f. Brown has stated that Their
are fields in his vicinity in Butler cOun
fy, Ohio, which have been titled for a
years without the application OF any fer
tilizer, whatever, and have been kept u
TO the full standard Of their original fer
tility merely by the use Of clover and 1
judicious rotation Of crops. The sfate
ment proves that those fields we're very
rich and that it takes longer 10 exhaust
them. The deepest and strongest well:
can be pumped dry. The ocean itsell
would be soon evapored if no rivers were
flowing into it.
Mr.. 7. b. Terry for time became q
convert to Jethro Tun's doctrine, that
tillage is manure, and that clover would
keep up the fertility Of his farm as well
as the dung of animals Mr.. Terry is re-
turning to his old faith in BARNARD
manure, especially when il is kept in his
box-stalls or covered barnyard.
Farmers talk about land getting "clo-
vcr-sick" The land is not sick--it is i'm
poverished and hungry Let them give
it a good top dressing OF rotten manure,
then SOW their clover seed and see how
quickly it will get well and produce clo-
Yer again. Clover gathers up the fertili-
~ in the soil and makes It available. Its
long roots penetrate deep into the sub
soil and bring back the fertility that has
escaped beyond the reach Of most other
plants but clover root cannot reach the
sewers Of London or Liverpool and bring
back the liie-blood Of the soil that has
been shipped away in the wheat, corn,
butter, cheese, pork, beef and lard that
have been ported Country GaR,man.
Every tissue Of the body, every nerve,
bone and muscle. Is made stronrer and