The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-04-11
THE Farm.
TREATMENT OF CLOVER.
Farming Without. Live Stock.

VI thC LCuf VI C4NW L OhOts
cit used to be considered the worst
form Of heresy to do anything with
clover besides feeding it to cattle. i *
There are now many farms where the
clover crop should never touch the lips
Of stock at all"
Among the thousands of farmers met
at the institutes in this State and Penn
sylvania, during the winter, l find quite
a number who are getting out Of the
"heresy' rut; who are getting their
eyes open to the fact that changing cir
cumstances may make some new way
better than the old way. You know
my farm is one of these "where the
clover crop never touches the lips Of
stock" We have for years only cut
enough Of it for hay to keep our work
teams, and one cow to give us milk.
The rest of the clover has gone back to
the land without going through stock.
This because we could make the most
money with the least trouble by so
doing, and keep our land up just as
we'll. 1t is pleasant to see that SO many
others are looking at this matter SEN
sibly now.
This clover question has been select
ed for discussion at nearly every insti-
tute the writer has attended during the
winter. The experiences brought cnt
may be of interest to your readers.
Briefly, my plan is to grow the heaviest
possible clover sod. To this end | SOW
about a bushel of seed on six acres,
quite early, (sowed this year week
ago today. Timothy is not sown in
the fall, as that does not give the clover
the best possible chance. a little may
be sown in the spring. After harvest
we run the mower, set high and with
the track cleaners off, over the stubble
field. twice usually, to cut off weeds
and clip the clover back aud thus
thicken it up, and also prevent it from
goino to seed. But we do not rake Up
and take off any of this rowen. 1t is all
kept on the ground for a mulch.
Now, the discussions at the institutes
have brought out right here two points
of value. First, many have moved off
their stubbles, but not at the right time
They waited too long, until the weeds
and clover had become too woody. The
clipping should be done when they are
SO green and tender that they will
shrink and dry up in few days. Again.
the last cutting should be early enough
SO there will be three or four inches Of
new growth to fall down and protect
the plants during the winter. Second,
many farmers were afraid to cut off the
weeds and clover and leave them on
the ground for fear that mice would do
more damage. When this question
was first brought up, in Pennsylvania,
early in the winter, I hardly knew what
to say. knew had no trouble from
field mice; but didn't fully realize that
my treatment was probably the reason
why l did not. Atnumerous meetings
since l have inquired particularly on
this point. In Medina county, this
State, reliable farmer followed my
plan. A neighbor told him that the
mice would eat his clover all up, and
said: "Just you wait; I will show you
how to grow clover" The neighbor
left his standing. The reported result
was that the properly moved field is all
right, and the other eaten so by mice
that it will have to be plowed up.
When | came home | walked all round
my clover field, but failed to find one
mouse, or sign that one had been
there. l stepped over into the pasture
where there were punches of standing
grass and could start up mouse any
where, or in the standing grass in the
fence corners. But in my field, al
though there was good deal of stuff
moved off, it was done at time when
it shrank up and worked down to the
surface Of the soil, SO that there was
little chance for mouse to hide.
l have been pleased this winter to
see how many farmers have learned
that it does not pay to turn stock on to
cultivated fields to eat off clover. Stock
keeping properly managed is all right.
But when the Ohio farmer keeps a
drove OF stock, with the small chance
for profit there is now, and lets them
eat his new.seeded stubble fields to the
ground, as well as the grass in other
lots, he is on the road to sheriff's sale,
unless he has large farm and is out of
debt. Close gnawing and trampling
have injured great many farms in this