The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-17
FARMR FIELD, GARDEN
The V9lue of Glover Not Suffi-
ciently Understood.
HANDSOME SPECIES OF SWANS.
The Huge Yorkshire Swine Of England
The Russian Sheep Dog-straw-
berry Culture.
Orange Judd Farmer.

Farmers do not put the value on clover
which they should. 1t is very poor soil
which will not grow clover. Any soil on
which it can be made to grow can be i'm
proved. On all grain-growing farms it
should be made the base on which to build
Improvement, for it is the cheapest and
most reliable fertilizer within reach Glover
catches well on our soil, but its water
soaked condition ten years ago prevented
9 perfect development. The first winter
the greater part of it would lift out. The
roller or any other mechanical device
could not put it back. I thought the land
would produce clover TO perfection if the
water-line could be lowered. The soil con-
tains an abundance of lime, as limestone
gravel is found in the clay from two to
four feet deem; usually at three feet deep
in such quantities as to make 1t diff
fcult to work ditching tools. The use of
manure did not benefit the land, except
ing on the higher parts. On the wettest
parts, it made IL more soggy and difficult
to handle. When the season was wet. the
crop was never paying one, except on
the higher points. Under these condi-
tons clover was an unreliable crop, and
efforts at manuring were disappointments.
/ resolved to increase the quantity of
manure, and that clover should be the
foundation on which to build. The first
necessary preparation was to tile drain the
land. Surface drainage by means of
parallel burrows will never meet the re-
quirements Of a clover crop. In draining
1t has been my aim to put the land in
such condition that after the winter freez-
ing and thawing the clover crowns would
be close down On the ground The soil in
this condition, it is possible to make the
adage, '0nce in clover, always in clover.''
true one. This cannot he reached in one
season, but by few years of systematic
rotation; corn after clover, wheat after
corn, and then back to clover. On one
field which never gave more than eight
bushels OF wheat to the acre. have by
the use OF clover and manure, brought
the crop In these series of rotations to
nearly twenty-six bushels per acre. The
first crop of wheat after tile drainage was
failure, but got clover CATCH That
gave me two. tons of hay and three
bushels OF seed per acre. The next crop
OF wheat made twenty-five bushels per
acre, followed by two-ton crop of hay
and four bushels Of seed per
acre; the third crop of wheat
lacked fraction Of twenty-six bush
es per acre. NOW L nave hne stand
OF clover Tor crop the coming summer
While the drainage and manure are i'm
portant factors in producing these results,
feel satisfied they could not have been
reached without the clover. When | grow
clover it is given full possession of the
land; l do not want timothy with 1t. /
SOW the seed the last of February or the
first of March, when the soil is in a suita-
bic condition, slightly frozen, but
thawing toward noon. / use ten to
twelve pounds of seed per acre.
When the rotation is well established
this is sufficient seed for perfect
stand do not pasture the stubble fields
after the wheat is off. If the cloves gets
very rank or weeds appear. 1 NOW them.
The clover straw after the seed is out is
scattered directly over the land or else it
goes through the stables or manure heap
first