The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-08-08
CLOVER FAILURE AND "sickNESs.,
Peculiar Conditions OF Soil That Render
Paying Crops Impossible.

| Peculiar Conditions OF Soil That Render
| Paying Crops Impossible.
The advice is usually given to grow as
much clover as possible on the farm, and
the soils would be richer for it. With
most WORKOUT soils in this country, this
advice is applicable, for very few farms
have a superabundance of vegetable
food mixed up thoroughly with the soil,
especially in the large corn growing
regions. But, writes an Ohio farmer to
The American Cultivator, the indiscrim-
mate advice to grow clover continuously
on the land, and even on the same field.
may in the end have contrary result
from what is generally expected. There
are many cases of clover failure through
put the country, and many who would
grow clover on the farms complain that
= good "catch" cannot be obtained.
The clover only comes up in straggly,
sickly sort of way, which weeds and
other grasses soon crowd out. Elaborate
systems of sowing the clover, season after
season, with other seeds will sometimes
effect change on such soils, and if this
can be accomplished the farm will be
greatly benefited by the change
But when clover has been grown on
field year after year in large crops, and
then should suddenly begin to fail, until
In time 1t refuses to grow any better than
on the first poor soil where catch could
not be obtained, it is pretty certain that
new element has entered into the ques-
ton. 1t is undoubtedly "clover sick
ness" Of the soil which prevails so extern
sively in England, and even in this coun-
try where the crop has been grown too
long or has been frequently repeated.
Clover sickness of soil is peculiar con-
dition of the land which has not been
understood until recently. Farmers
could comprehend the destruction of the
young roots by worms, insect enemies
and other similar causes, and they could
easily explain the reason why a good
catch could not be obtained on very DOOR,
uncongenial soil; but for the soil sudden
~ to refuse to crop as it had been accus-
toned to for years was mystery. Now
1t appears that the soil has been over
supplied with the rich clover until. like
the human stomach, stuffed with too
much food Of one kind, it refuses to re-
ceive and digest any more The land is
sick OF this one crop. and the soil is
clover sick. as it is called in England.
The cause beyond this is really obscure.
even in England. Rich land, suitable
to clover, that will grow large crops of
grain, turnips and beans, refuses to grow |
clover except at intervals of from four
to twelve years. Furthermore, it has
been discovered that the addition Of or
ganic matter only aggravates the matter
and increases the clover sickness of the
soil. There are comparatively few farms
IN this country that are suffering from
too much organic matter in the soil, but
from these facts it may be seen that such |
thing is possible, and that clover in
time cannot be grown on them. 1t is
then time to stop and consider the appli- |
cation Of commercial fertilizers and less
Of organic matter. But one should not
confound clover sickness with clover
failure. Clover fails from many other
causes, such as poor land, freezing in the
spring or droughts in the summer.
Before coming to the conclusion that
the soil is "clover sick" careful distinc-
ton should be made between clover fail
ure and sickness. More soils in this
country suffer from lack of clover than
from too great abundance, but here
and there rich soil may be suffering
from a surfeit of this crop.