The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-06-20
SCARLET CLOVER.

SCARLET CLOVER.
Its Character and Advantages Described
The attention of the members of the
Cecil Farmers Club having been called
to this Lew and luxuriant variety of for
age plant by Mr.. Lloyd Balderston at its
recent meeting at VIM. w. Moore's, the
following letter from Mr.. A. NJ. Brown
of Washington d. O., relative to it, and
which is taken from the last issue of the
american Farmer, will be read with
interest by farmers generally. | have
Just read says Mr.. Brown the articles in
your June 1st issue by Msssrs. Kerr and
Cole, relative to Scarlet Clover and de-
sire to add my endorsement to the testi.
mony of those gentlemen in what they
have said about this most wonderful as
we'll as valuable forage plant, either for
its nutritive or commercial value. After
a most critical test on the light alluvial
soils of Delaware and Maryland for the
past five years by such experienced cul-
tivators as J. W. Korr, r. S Cole, Z
II. Bancroft, John J. Rose, Jacob G.
Brown and many other equally capable
gentlemen, Scarlet Clover has proven to
grasses grown in this section, aud III my
opinion no farmer should for one moment
hesitate to seed every available acre o.
his farm with this clover the coming
season. From my own experience with
this clover, | am free to say that, no
matter how apparently exaggerated the
statements made in it's favor have been,
believe the truth has not yet half been
told. aud We, as farmers, will only fully
realize this when we derive the benefits
that it's use will demonstrate.
| have never seen any grass grow so
luxuriantly on the poorest sandy knobs,
where itwould DE a fruitless effort to
eudeavor to get a stand of any other
grass, or possess 80 much nutritive value
for feeding purposes, either as a green
feed, as ensilage, or in its cured state,
nor that would enrich land so rapidly as
this clover when turned under as green
manure. l truly and sincerely regard
it as the greatest boon ever fallen to
the lot of our farmers. | have grown it
under varied conditions, have fed it both
green and cured, to all kinds of stock,
have plowed it under as manure and at
all times and in every instance it has so
far exceeded my expectations that it is
impossible to keep from becoming en-
thusiastic in its praise. My father, Mr..
Jacob G. Brown, of Kent county, Della
ware, has grown it for the past five years,
perhaps more extensively than any other
farmer in Delaware or Maryland, having
this season had over 300 acres of it on
his farm, from which, after feeding his
large herd of dairy cows, besides his
other stock, for more than a month, on
the green grass cut every day, has also
filled his silo, holding 1S5 tons, and has
left large acreage for seed, besides
having already turned under many acres
of it and planted the land TO corn.
1t will grow as we'll in All orchard as
out of it, OIL poor soil as we'll as rich
will grow in the fall and spring when
other crops are out of the way-should
always be sown in corn fields at the last
working, in peach, apple or pear orch
ards, or in fact any other crop, when it
is given the last working. Some of the
best clover l had this year was sown
last July at the last working of my
watermelon patch. have ten acres in
wheat in which l Intentionally omitted
sowing timothy and red clover, so that
it could be put into buckwheat IN August
next and seeded to scarlet clover, from
which expect next spring TO cut two
tons of hay to the acre, or, if preferable,
to turn under as green manure. DR..
Neal, director of the Delaware Expert
ment Station, says that plowed under in
this way, it's commercial value is $24
per acre. l contend that we have here
an opportunity to stop the terrible drain
on our resources by the constant and
liberal applications of commercial ma
nures, that cur light soils are constantly
requiring, and by the use of this clover,
enrich our land far more rapidly, surely
permanently One dollars worth of seed
will seed an acre, and in no way can
money be SO we'll invested. l certainly
hope to see its use become more general
every year, as our farmers become more
acquainted with it's merits.
Mr.. J. Alexander Fulton of Dover
Del, has this to say with reference to it
AS a friend of agriculture and inter-
ested in all that relates to it, and especi
ally alive to anything new in that line,
| read with great interest your descrip-
ton of Mr.. Wilson's Italian Clover"
While | agree with all that you say in
its favor, do not agree that it is so
much of a novelty as is claimed for it in
the article referred to. And that it may
be tested, herewith enclose stock and
also give brief description of a clover
here extensively for a number of years,
and which, from the general description
you give, l think is indentical with Mr..
Wilson's Italian ccover. have measur-
ed the stock and find 1t gives the follow
ing dimensions:
Length of stock from ground to top
of blossom 26s inches; from root to first
leaf stem, 7 inches; from first to second
leaf stem, 4 inches; from second to third
leaf stem 5 inches; from third to fourth
leaf stem, inches: from fourth to fifth
leaf stem, % inches, and fifth leaf stem
to blossom, u inches. The blossom is
% inches in length and one-half in dia-
meter, cylindrical in shape, tapering
somewhat towards the tip, aud in color
a bright scarlet when at it best. The
color gives name to the plant and here
is called scarlet clover 1t differs from
our common red clover in many particu-