The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-02
Essentials In Clover Culture.

with the same dlteullOtl SlNGI "
tails" of culture, it is settled fully that
red clover will grow about as readily in
South Georgia as it does in North Geor-
gia or Tennessee. If we will use as good
land, manure it as highly, prepare it as
thoroughly, SOW it as carefully at the
proper time for sowing, using as good
seed and giving it as judicious treatment
afterwards as is accorded the clover crop
IN the sections mentioned, we can have
just as fine clover here as the eye of man
ever rested upon OF course, we have a
great deal of land that naturally will not
produce clover profitably, nor will it pro-
duce corn or oats or cotton either unless
properly MANFRED. Glover is not adapted
to poor sandy shallow soil il 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 esteemed a the north as 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 entirely taken from the land
on which IL is grown as a fallow or amel
iorating crop. It will bear repetition to
state that land Still is in very fair cond-
ton, and. far from being in an exhausted
state that will grow a covering of clover
sufficient to hide the soil perfectly and
yield a cutting of one ton of well cured
clover hay at the first cutting in June. In
TACT, 1t may be accepted as d fair APP
proXimation that land that would produce
two tons of clover hay at a cutting would
produce at least 400 pounds of lint cot
ton or thirty to forty bushels of corn.
iaking worn soil that produced two or
three hundred pounds of seed cotton per
acre, ii would be found a 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 appropriate this
valuable and well tested plant as a factor
an progressive culture an ex-
asgerated estimate of its qualities
mas caused disappointment to ensue where
Jusler apprecia lion of its true quality
ana the needs of our soil would have Sc
cured for it more general trial and adop-
'ioh as a preventive of exhaustion rather
taan as a cure for it. Glover should come
'nIo the rotation once every three years
To secure the restoration of humus to the
sou before the soil has become exhausted
OF previous applications of humus. Wait
men IL VIII be an expense for nothing to
SOW cloves on it.
Much Oh the failure that has resulted in
'ie ilrst experiments with clover in this
section has been owing TO the use of
poor quality of seed, using too small a
quantity and sowing it on soil too poor
10 grow any crop successfully. In some
Eases OF failure the land was rich enough
l"iHaps' but the preparation of il was in
adequate and poor seed used. In other
cases the seed was good, but the land was
90" poor. FARMERS are very apt TO take
"ttf poorest lands to make experiments
ON. In either case failure was inevita-
pie Upon these failures, however many
l'I.hefs formed their conclusions and have
hol repeated the experiments under proper
ana essential conditions. Whether sown
ny itself or sown with grain, clover should
.e so"n in the fall (from the 10th of Sept
~ lne 10Th of Oct), on soil that has been
ven ploWed and narrowed, and after SOW
ing the ground should be rolled This roll
ut Is all the covering that Is needed.
"Aeie sown by itself seed should be sown
per acre GO is better when sown with rye
~ oats 10 to 20 pounds will be sufficient.
iae best combination and the one most
"Neiy 10 be of general adoption in the
."'-a is to sow ii with rye about the last
~ september. 1t can be sown ddvan-
'-s'0sly with oats also, but rye will be
E p-lter as IL can be taken off much ear
~ iH me spring than oats, even if the lat
~ are cut for hay. Farmers, however
80 mango about, sowing Il one time with
'st ana another with oats. After blowing
W "aFrowing In three pecks of good Geor-
ga rye SOW the clover on the smooth sur
''' after the harrow and roll.