Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-05-01
WHY Not Try TIP

lhere are many changes which the larg-
er part OF the farmers in this county might
make to advantage. 1t is easier TO keen
IN the Old ruts, but enterprising, progress
I've men are always looking for better WAYS
OF doing things. To cling to an old meth
Oh OF farming or doing business lust be-
cause ones grandfather did so, is not the
way to make farming pay. Take an exam
pie. Nearly every farmer in the county
VIII seed down some of his land this spring.
The majority will SOW grass seed and it will
be timothy with little clover Many will
use alsike in place of the common red clo-
yer, and that is probably an improvement.
especially il the land is moist, but how
many farmers will SOW clover alone? WHY
is it that farmers are afraid of sowing this
valuable plant? Probably more real value
can he got from an acre of rel clover than
from any other crop that will grow i'm
this climate. Two heavy crops can he
grown in year, usually for two years
in succession. The stubble can then be
plowed under, and is worth about as much
Tor manure as ton of ordinary commer-
cial fertilizer, clover roots and stubble
being rich in nitrogen. Nitrogen is the
most costly element of fertilizers and clover
has the power of taking nitrogen from the
air and putting it in form available for
tertilizing purposes. Red clover roots. too,
90 down below the soil usually occupied by
the roots of other plants. and bring plant
food to the surface. As some one has said.
Glover goes down and finds new farm
under the old one"
why is it, then, that so little clover is
grown around here? There are two rea-
sons. One is that it sometimes winter-kills
nd I'm. ia. =. Il. a. !
clover are difficult to dry so that they will
Keep well. As to the first objection, where
clover is thickly sown on field by itself.
1t is not, think. so easily killed by frost as
when little is sown with grass. And even
if crop of clover occasionally fails from
this cause, we must remember that other
crops occasionally fail, but we do not for
that reason stop growing them. As to cur
ing clover, it may be necessary, for the
best results, to use hay caps but these are
not costly, and are very useful articles to
have on farm. 4 square of plain cotton
cloth with loops at the corners is all that is
necessary, except the pins which are sim
ply sticks of wool just large enough to run
through the loops into the hay. say foot
long and little larger than a lead pencil
-Four feet square is COOL size to have the
caps. Cut the clover in the afternoon
when there is promise of "A spell of good
hay weather. The next afternoon, If the
weather is good, rake it up and let it lie i'm
the windrow over night. The next day put
in cocks, and, if dry enough, draw in i'm
the middle of the day while it is hot: but
if it is not dry enough let it stand day or
two or more. covering with the caps. Clio
yer makes good ensilage. but it is better
made into hay to be fed with corn ensilagc.
Clover rowen is one of the best substitutes
for half-grown fodder corn to feed the cows
when the pastures begin to fail.
And this suggests another change which
many farmers ought to make, planting fod-
der corn in drills instead of sowing it
broadcast. The mass of green corn which
can be grown on an acre when sown broad
cast is not worth nearly so much as the
smaller amount obtained from an acre when
planted in hills or drills. Plant corn for
fodder so that the kernels will begin to
glaze before it is cut.
Another new leaf that it would pay a
good many farmers to turn over is in re-
gard to stabling cows in the night during
the summer. Many leave their cows in the
barnyard nights. the manure is thrown in
to heaps, the rains wash it. the sun dries
it, the winds blow upon it, and one-haf or
more of the plant food in it originally is
wastel. 1t is far better to put the cows in
the stable nights. bed them well and throw
the manure under shed or into "A cellar
and thus prevent this waste.-J. w. New-
ton in NerS anil citizen.