The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-30
The Room for Crimson clover

Great as Is the demand for seed lust
now the supply seems ample at Just one
hait the price 1t commanded two years
ago, says w. NJ. King i'm American Agri-
culturist. What alfalfa has done for the
farmers IN California and Colorado wher-
eyer irrigation is necessary or practicable.
crimson clover is likely to do, proving
equally acceptable as an important crop.
in the South Atlantic states. In these its
value for fentilizing purposes, for soiling.
and for hay, Is not likely to be- overesti
mated. For these purposes it leads even
the cowpea and red clover. The only adj
vantage that the cowpea has over the
clovers is that it will grow and attain a
hight of two feet or more. while even the
crimson clover would not attain hight
OF more than six to eight inches Still, on
a SOIL that cannot be successfully seeded
with grass, the crimson clover succeeds
admirably. A very marked advantage OF
the latter Is that during the first six
months Of its growing II produces a much
greater bulk OF roots than the common
red clover.
In these hurrying. pushing times. one
cannot afford to give two years time to
the culture of red clover, when but half
the time Will be required for the accom-
plishment Of the same result with the now
indispensable crimson clover. Another adj
vantage this clover possesses is that II
does not interfere with any other CROP and
In this respect II is disttnctively Ameri-
can, or independent. SOWn as II may be
with a tomato, potato, or corn crop at the
last working, the seeding is comparatively
Inexpensive. The growth of the clover
plant Is SUCH that when the winter season
arrives It acts as a mulch on the land and
measufably prevents washing-the great
drawback to soil Improvement in the
southland In the following spring the
growth Is much more rapid and abundant
than that of the red varieties.
The Importance of keeping the ground
wit ono H.
clover to prevent the growth of annual
weeds after potato, corn and garden crops
nave been removed, cannot be overesti-
mated. 1t is true that these annual weeos
may be of some value for fertilizer ana
may to some extent prevent washing Of
the soil, but in both these respects they
are vastly inferior to crimson clover, ana
have very injurious effect in spreading
their seeds about the farm. Properly used
crimson clover is likely to prove one OF
the farmers best weapons for fighting
weeds. When grown thickly il will to a
considerable extent, choke down even the
nut sedge- on the other hand, care should
OF our pernicious weeds are Introduces
and distributed more in clover seed than
by any other artificial means.
Another important consideration in Ia
vor of this clover is its value for hay
When properly cured-and il Is more cas-
lily cured than the mammoth variety %
red clover-it has been found to contain
about twice as much protein or flesh ana
muscle forming food per 100 pounds az
hay from the very best grasses. and IL
worth fully one-fourth more for feeding
than ordinary hay. The cultivation OF
this clover for seed has heretofore been
quite prof table, and this is likely to con-
tinue to a considerable degree for years
to come. The second natures quite early.
and If cut high and bah stubble and roots
are plOwed under, its value both for seed
and fertilizing purposes places IL ahead
Of all other plants of which / have any
knowledge At the present prices of GRIM
son clover, no farmer can afford to de-
lay single day in procuring supply OF
hardy, thoroughly acclimated Delaware
grown seed, and give this comparatively
rev variety of clover--which is now known
in Delaware as the mortgage lifter"-a
trial.