Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-03
Crimson Glover.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:
1 snnpose Won have noticed that Ct

To the Editor OF the Dispatch:
| suppose you have noticed that crimson
clover IS Oh quite boom. as IL wei de-
serves TO be. About twenty-five years ago
trieG 10 bring II into nOtorlety IN various
ways-by writing u up al the papers
and by eXtolling its many virtues 10 my
friends I'm conversatiOn-but somehow,
though many would promise to try II,
1 seldom found OuI that tney had done
so and gradually / myself lost interest
i'm what | had proved 10 be good thing.
and simply because all the great farm
ers-Mr. StearH, General Nichnam, ana
others to whom | had recommended 1t
seemed to take no interest in it, or gave
II the go-by as a thing Of little value 10
the general farmer. They thought ii a
good thing for gardeners and small milk
men, but not worthy OF special notice by
the real farmer And l gave up the
boom. But, as l have said. | mad proved
its value, and have ever had good word
for il.
Where this plant really came from. or
by what means il came to Henrco. /
know not. found II here when | came.
The late Jesse Clark. or rather his son,
John. both Of whom have long since gone
TO their long home. iiIst called my atten-
ton TO it as a bee forage; for, in addition
to its great value as Il sOiier, IL was quito
equal, they said, TO white clover as a
honey plant. / bought four-barrel pack
ed fun Of the seed in the pug. or hanlon-
pug II is usually called here. Ii was
warm. seasonable fan, and | sowed my
seed on the first day Of October, aiming
to SOW IL on one acre. but, honor 10 the
name Of young Clark. ] found the barrel
packed and TANNED with the seed, so that
| thought | could stretch little. an-
added two yards to the width OF the
piece of land intended for IL. 1t soon
came up. and | had the pleasure OF seeing
that il was quite thick enough on the
land. | know now that IL was s0wn a
little too late. But the land. which had
been In potatoes, was not only good. but
I'm fine condition. / never afterwards
raised such crop as | raised from that
seed We sold so much OF the grass
green that | was really afraid 10 tell the
whole truth about IT, and yet We had five
cart loads of dry hay; and l think. seed
enough to have sowed ten acres of land
have never since been without this
grass For nine successive years | sowed
the seed In my corn-held, after the last
ploughinE, thinking | would plough the
clover under next spring. but / never did
SO. but cut II and sold 1t In the city
and, as soon as could. ploughed the LAND
and planted IL in corn. The ninth crop
was quite as good as the first. and the
corn better. except II showed that the
land needed lime.
My experience teaches that land H.
Henrico county can be cropped every year
and yet be greatly Improved IN fertility
by the proper use OF this plant or grass
A friend. then residing Ia Chesterhcl'
county not far from Manchester came 70
see me- and saw the clover in full bloom
and nothing could be more beautiful, and
learning from me something of its his
tory. resolved TO try II over there. ana
| did so, but from some cause failed g.
realize a crop. and WAS sorely disappoirt
| cd. as he afterwards said He had good
| land, and cannot imagine why he failed
| but he did, and never afterwards tried II
I write this TO show that people some
| times fail Of a crop. even OF this plant.
which | regard as one Of the most surs
| OF nj, crops Sown from September Eth
| 10 October 18th. when the land is in pro
| per order. II never fails. unless caught
| by severe drcught-such as We nigh,
| have. but seldom 40 have. One thin
more--and let no one forget this-i' grows
hest on rich land. G. X. GII.MER.