Middletown transcript., 1897-05-01
Of Interest
To Farmers


THE VALUE OF CLOVER WELL TOLD.
Clover is the farmers best friend and
most willing servant. No other plant
will produce SO large crop of the best
feed and leave the soil richer than be-
fore. Its value as fertilizer lies in
the fact that it obtains so much of its
snstenance from the air which could
not be otherwise utilized. The air is
bountifully supplied with nitrogen, one
of the most necessary and expensive
elements OF plant food. Glover has
the ability to gather this nitrogen from
the atmosphere and store It in the soil
for the growth Of other plants. About
q, 900 pounds Of this element Of ferti-
lity are said to be suspended above
every acre of our soil, ready to be taken
up by leguminous plants, Of which
clover is the best, and transferred to
the soil.
The use of clover as fertilizer
should become more generalthat it now
is. When the entire crop is plowed
under, we get very large supply Of
plaLt food at the smallest possible cost.
If the foliage is cut and cured for hay,
much of value remains, as the roots
contain large amount of plant food.
Its worth as a green manure has long
been recognized. On soils that are de-
ficient in humus, as clay soils are apt
to be, it furnishes this much needed
element. The cost Of seed and seed
ing is small, and it needs no attention
until it is ready to turn under. It re-
quires no hauling or spreading, as does
barnyard manure, neither does it re-
quire extra machinery to drill IL, like
commercial fertilizer. When farmers
once learn the fertilizing value Of
clover, they will expend less money for
commercial fertilizers. In growing
clover, no risk of adulteration is in
CURED. Nature never adulterates this
grand crop.
The only risk the farmer runs in
this crop lies in the danger Of not get
ting good catch when sowing the
seed. There is really very little diff.
Guilty here, however, IL natures laws
| are observed. Seeds u all kinds re-
quire certain amount of heat, mois-
ture and air to germinate. In order to
receive regular supply OF moisture it
is necessary that they be covered, more
or less, with soil. The larger the seeds,
the more or thicker covering they need.
Clover seed being small need only a
shallow covering. 1t can be sown on
the surface at the proper time, and
nature will do the rest. The richer
the soil, the more certain of catch.
Ground that has been well manured
seldom fails, especially if the manure has
been we'll applied to thesurface Il often
top-dress the poorest places in the field
/ in order to secure good stand there,
and am never disappointed. In twenty
years have never had failure where
Itop-dressed.
The proper time for sowing is quite
early in the spring. The rains assist
in settling the seed into the soft soil
and covering it. Some advocate SOW
liog in February, but doubt the adyis-
ability af sowing as early as that. BY
sowing later the risk of loss is lessen.
ed. remember one year, sowed In
April, after the ground had become
checked by drying winds, with good
success. When sown early the young
plants will become better established
before drouth sets in. They will get
better start. too, before the wheat gets
growth enough to shut out the sun
light. never pay any attention to
moon signs, but sow whsu the ground
Is In good condition.
| I use a broadcast seeder and follow
the drill rows. thus obviating the neces'
sity of setting stakes-quite an item
in q hiliy field, where one can not SEE
| to. the other end. I have tried alsike
common red or medium, mammoth and
fall.sown crimson clover and believe
| the medium to be the best for the ave
rage farmer. The aisike makes verI
good hay, but will not produce mnct
aftermath. The mammoth makes NOR
hay per acre, but it is more difficult t
cure. It must be allowed to stand nm
til quite mature or the curing is still
more difficult. II natures at the sam
time that wheat ripens, and cutting !
Is apt to interfere with wheat harvest
Crimson is not hardy enough to be 0
much value in our latitude Al degrees.
I have succeeded In growing a littl
but failed to SEQ wherein it had az
advantage over the common red. 1t
feeding value is about the same.-
American Agricu lturist.