The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-24
Red Clover in the South.

Afternoon
Red Clover in the South.
With same attention given to "details
Of culture, it is settled that red clover
will grow as readily in Georgia as it does
in Tennessee. If we will use as good land,
manure it as highly, prepare it as thor
oughly. sow it as carefully at the proper
time for sowing-using as good seed and
giving it as judiciOus treatment after
wards as is accorded the clover crop in
Tennessee. we can have just as fine clover
here as the eye of man ever rested upon.
of course we have great deal of land
that naturally will not produce clover
proftably nor will it produce ocOrn, or
oats. or cotton either, unless properly ma
uured Clover is not adapted to poor,
sandy, shallow soil, it is true, but what
valuable crop is adapted to such soil
To produce a good crop of clover the
land has got to be in a condition that
would enable it to produce a good crop of
cotton oats or corn. Why clover is es-
teened at the north as a fallow or en-
riching crop is not so much on account of
its power to make very poor land fertile
as to enable land already good to retain
its fertility and to make it a little better
even, while a large portion of the clover
crop itself is taken from the land on
which it is grown as fallow or amelio-
rating crop.
1t win bear repetition, that land is still
in very fair condition and far from being
in an exhausted state that will grow q
covering of clover sufficient to hide the
soil perfectly and yield a cutting of one
ton Of well cured hay at the first cutting
in June.
In fact it may be accepted as a fair APP
proximatiOn that land that would pro
duce two tons of clover hay at cutting
would produce at least 400 pounds of lint
cotton or thirty to forty bushels of corn.
Taking worn soil that produced two or
three hundred pounds of seed cotton per
acre, it would be found very tedious and
expensive business to restore it simply by
sowing it to clover without manure. A
little experience would soon show that
clover does not possess the power of
magic. Thus far, in the effort of many of
our Georgia farmers to appropri-
ate this valuable and well-tested
plant, as a factor in progressive
culture an exaggerated estimate of its
qualities has caused disappointment to
enSue, when juster appreciation of its
true quality and the needs of our soil
would have secured for it a more general
trial and adoption as prevention of ex-
haustl0n rather than as a cure for it.
Clover should come into the rotation once
every three years to secure the restora-
ton of humus to the soil before the soil
has become exhausted of previous appli-
cations Of humus.
Wait until the soil has become badly
Worn and then it viii be an expense for
nothing to SOW clover on it. Much of the
failure that has resulted in the first ex-
periments with clover in this section has
been owing to the use of poor quality of
seed-uSing too small a quantity-and
sowing IN soil too poor to grow any
crop successfully.
In some cases Of failure the land was
rich enough perhaps, but the preparation
OF 1t was inadequate and poor seed was
used.
In other cases the seed was good enough
DuJ the land was too poor. Farmers are
apt TO take their poorest land to make
experiments on.
In either case failure was inevitable
Upon these failures, however, many
farmers formed theif conclusions and
nave not repeated the experiments under
proper and essential conditions
Whether sOWn by itself or sown with
gram clover should be sown in the fall
IRON the 10th of Sept. to the 18th of
OctJ on soil that has been well plowed
and narrowed, and after sowing the
ground should be rolled.
Inns rolling is all the covering that is
needed. When sown by itself at least Is
pounds Of fresh seed should be sown per
acre twenty is BETTER, when sown with
hcient
m me best combination, and the one most
LAelS TO be of general adoption in the
sum IS TO sow it with rye about the last
u september. Ii can be Sown adYanta-
teoqslE with oats also, but rye will be
o o,,U ;oeI:er, as 1t can be taken off much
tiSllIeE In the spring than oats, even if
'i'G laIJer is cut for hay.
Farmers, however, NAV change about.
Swing III one time with rye and another
~ oats, After blowing or narrowing
tbo 'liee pecks OF good Georgia rye, sow
t the cover on the smooth surface after
aro narrow and roll. Wheat and barley
not grown to any extent
70 inns secion, and not likely
cro oevome at any early day staple
thP9, lot we cannot compete at all with
d. west and north with these grains
all ouu oats are the only two grains
n @p.lu 10 our climate and average soil
sIooadE wheat has been grown with some
T,e ,,-l>9 In this section in the past fifteen
now oul the majority of farmers are
cron "-Igeu That it is a very uncertain
fax ana at best not a profitable one. In
grow, Is not intended that the rye be
Glove. Luz lUs seed when grown with
Tho ~ W NC converted INTO nay.
the 81. ~ ler-growth should be turned into
Dart 9 og !. which with the roots, the best
hJmne IT. VIII restore a large quantity of
leaves and ana consequently nitrogen, and
cron fl ole and in good condition for q
II E2ea the Land was s NOT VerT ' rioh
pastnro1 DC desirable to leave clover IN
grow TibgQ and uncut and give the whole
for ra -l 10 the land. The land would show
Glove r.s The value of such treatment.
r1 9rJP succeeds well when sown in Feb
fectjg f GuV the soil should be made per-
pounds me ne and well rolled, and Is to 20
good Sow, u seed, that you know to be
Div IN NV" 'A per acre. These remarks ap-
n nm w. red clover chiefly. but We have : a
are in sa VI other varieties of clover, that
than req SJl lly respects more available even
Sonetrin,c, cover, OF these we will have
TO say in following issues.
liinSon Clover Makes Rich Hay.
F,,.,-. iO bulletin of the North Carolina