The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-09-02
THE FARM AND HOME.
GLOVER IN RELATION TO FER
TILITY OF THE SOIL.
To Prevent Winter KHlins-KeepiDE APP
pies-A Remedy for. i.ice--Caro for
Cows-stock Notes and
Home IIinta
clover to AInIn.sIa fertility.

A reader OF your paper asked me !
10 devote one paper TO the question
OF clover in It's relation to maintain
ing the fertility OF the soil, writes
Waldo +. Brown 10 the National
Stockman. He asks how best 60
manage 1t 90 secure stand II any.
thing can be done TO prevent winter
killing and how to get the most fer,
tility out Of it without reference 20
its value for any other purpose
In our changeable climate where
we can never tell whether The spring
will be wet or dry, and where q week
OF summer weather In March or early
in April Is frequently followed by sew.
eral days OF hard ,roezinG we cannot
always be suro OF a stand OF clover
but since | adopted this rule (tcn
years or more aTo) OF sowing early
from February 20 to March To- have
had ouIT one partial failure, and We
have had several severe tests III this
period do not care so much Tor
The date OF sowing as for the condi- /
tlons ana tho most favorable condi-
tons are bare or nearly bata ground
sharply frozen clear sky and sing
temperature. so that The surface is
sure to thaw in The middle OF the day.
Tho reason OBJ. ect to sowing on
snow or intro ZEN surface is that
sudden thsw or heavy rain is
likely to wash the seed into
lunches or on rolling land some OF
ii may DO washed entirely of the field
Sown early under these conditions the
seed is covered by one or two freezes,
and 10 in much less danger OF being
killed by the late freezes than il il
lies on The surface and sprouts and
also believe less liable 10 perish in
a spring drought also use more
seed than is customary with most
farmera q bushel to five, or at most
si1. acres / would defer sowing the
clover until some time ia April II / had
land OF such character that 1t could
be narrowed both ways but on clayey
upland we can very rarely use the
harrow 10 any advantage and usually
not at all until the wheat is too large
and so find early sowing and frost
TO cover 1t the best and surest
Much can be done think to pre-
vent clover from winter killing and
one OF the most essential things on
many farms is under drying. On
sprouty clay soils 1t is almost impoj-
sible to prevent the clover from heav-
ing out without thorough underdrain-
ing. Good winter protection In the
way OF u mulc5 4s OF great benefit on
most soils eLi. this can always be had
at very eight cost by cutting the
whGas rather high. and not pa5turing
ths clover at all and clipping down
the stubble and clover together about
the first of August. In cutting it for
this purpose the track clearer should
always be removed and then all the
clover and stubble falls just wnere it
stood and is not punched but is even
ly distributed over the soil and furn-
ishes n winter protection that will
save a field from freezing out which
would be greatly damaged If it was
pastured off closely in the fall so that
the plants are left with no pro-
lection. do not believe that
any farmer unless his lands are very
rich. can afford to pasture
young clover at all the first summer.
and | practice what preach in thi:
line for have not turned "A single
animal on young clover for tweuty
years past and as soon think OF turn
ing my stock into the corn or wheat
fields as on the young clover While
! would advise the draining OF al
wet lands | know that is costly anC
most farmers must do it gradually ";
Q they have the means But they neeC
8 not decide tAat these wet lands canno
" be benefited by clover because it viii
II unusually freeze out the first winter
for by liberal seeding and not pastur
J.. ing at all u magnificent growth Il
:. thoroughly cover the land can otter
be had the first fall have followed
a this plan as an experiment now 70
twenty years on field OF abou
c twenty acres and never saw |
heavier growth Of clover at an.
I! season OF the year than l have OF
q. this field in October from seed sow
= the previous March,
think that TO get the creates
benefit 70 the land from clover Gro
n and at the same time make none
y from it | would recommend tn
following plan; First lie We all IN
y growth the fr3t season on the LAM
" and cut 1t once, or II the season is on
To produce heavy growth. twice.
left TO make all Its growth and ia
NJ down it sometimes will smother on
and kill the plant have had thi
RI occur with the mammoth variety
u The next season cut the first grOwt
In the same way and leave it on th
OF land and then cut the second crop 70
40 seed. | know that IL IS u populs
- idea that to grow u crop OF Glove
seed exhausts the land, but think
Q, erroneous and so far as benefit to III
on land Is concerned ] would niue
MT rather grow seed than to hay
IS. the crop cut for hay. Why
"a Because the ground is shade
ee longer and mulched better whe
IL crop is cut for seed the clover bein
nd allowed to stand and ripen until
It. haadling it most Of the leaves fall o
IT, then we have the haum to put bac
ks, on the field. Managed as recon
all mend the field will be thorough
III, mulched for an entire year al
Ell, mulched is natures met cd OF r
storing fertility" Il is a ,scientii