Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-07-07

Peculiar Conditions Of soil that Reade,
rasiug trops Tmuos.ibf.

raging 'topa ifnHosstbie.
Tho advice IL usually given to grow a,
much clover ~ possible on the farm. and
the soils would bc richer for II. with
most wornout soils IN this country, thi,
advice Is applicable. for very few farm
have supembundance u vegetable
food mixed up thoroughly with tho soil,
especially Ia the large corn growing
regions. But, writes an Ohio farmer &c
The American Cultivator. the indiscrin
mate advice TO grow clover continuously
ON the land, aud even ON the same field.
may Ia the end have contrary result
from what Is generally expected. Thor
arr many cases follower failure through
out the country, aud many who would
grow clover on the farms complain that
good catch" cannot 10 obtained.
The clover only comes up ia a straggly.
sckly sort Of way. which weeds ana
other grasses soon crowd out. Elaborate
systems Of sowing the clover. SEASON after
season, with other seeds will sometime,
effect a change on such soils. aud " thi,
can I've accomplished tho farm will ts
greatly benefited by tho change.
But when clover has been grown on
field year after year In large crops, and
then should suddenly begin 10 fail, until
Ia time II refuses 10 grow any better thnn
on the firsi poor soil whrrc u catch could
not be obtained, 1t Is pretty certain that
a now element has entered into The qucs
ton. II Il undoubtedly "clovor sick.
ness Of The oil which prevails - ctten.
sivcly In England. and even In this cuun.
try where the crop has been grown too
long or has been frequently repeated.
Clover sickness of soil u a peculiar con.
dition Of the land which has not bcrn
understood until recently. Farmers
could comprehend tho destruction of the
young rooH by worms. insect enemies
and other similar causes, aud they could
easily explain tho reason why a good
catch could not b. obtained On very poor,
uncongcnid soil. bat for the soil sudden.
ly 20 refuse 70 crop ~ II had been nccus
TONED 20 for years was q mystery. Now
II appears that tho soil has been oyrf
supplied with the rich clover until. like
the human stomach. stuffed with too
much food Of one kind. IL refuses 10 r..
ceiyc aud digest any more. Tho lalid Il
sick OF this ono crop. and tho toil Is
clover sick, a. u {, called IA England
The cause beyond this IA rally obscure,
even IN England. Rich land. suitable
b. clover, that will GROW large crops Of
grain, turnips and beans. refuses 10 grow
clover except ~ Intervals Of from four
20 twelve yoarL Furthcunoro. II has
been discovered that tho addition of or.
ganic matter only asgraya,cs the matter
and incrca@es tho clover sickness u tho
soil. There arr comparatively fuw farms
In this country that arr suffering from
too much organic matter In tho soll. but
from ihcso facts II may h. seen that such
thing Is possible. aud That clover IN
time cannot b. grown on them. II T.
then time 90 stop and consider tho april.
cation Of commercial fertilizer. and los
Of organic matter. But one should not
confound clover sickness with clover
failure. Clover fails from mnny other
onu-oa, such nA poor land, freezing In tho
spring OF thoughts Ia the summer.
Before coming 20 tho conclusion that
tho soil 10 Glover sick" acnvful dlsilnc.
ton should ~ made between clover fail.
urc and sickncss. Murc soils Ia this
country sulIur from lack of cloyrr than
from a too great abundance. but here
and there rich soil may 10 suffering
fron Su,fcit u this crop