The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-22

sandy, and they do not freeze deep;
hence they are much more liable TO
teaching and washing than soils of the
North, and it is as important to have
them covered in winter as in summer.
Crimson clover does this perfectly. .
At the end of 1897 the Station had
the following further good words to
say OF crimson clover:
1T ia worth while to epread the fact
TO every farmer that this clover can
and will brings to him If he will but
grow it.
This crop starts and groWs to full
maturity and dies between August and
the following June. It will start among
corn, cotton or other crops, and need
not interfere with the crop for the lat
ter part OF the season in which it is
sown. When the summer crop is gone,
crimson clover takes the coil and, pro
vIded it Is not too poor, covers it with
verdure and increases it's fertility while
preventing the unsightly washing
which frequently occurs without its
presence. I5 only holds the ground
for short time in spring against other
crops. II gre szsd, no delay need be ex
perienced in plowing for early crops,
but we would plow all other ground
first, as the later this is left the more
good it will do stock and land, and the
Cetter it will be for the following crop.
''If made into hay the last of
April will see it harvested and the
weather will be propitious for hay
making. Indeed, it may we'll be ques
toned If it would not be better, for q
cotton crop, to have the land in this
clover for hay cut at the time when
cotton has usually hardly started in
sickly yellow growth, and then turn
the land at once and plant the cotton.
The roots aud stubbIe will have mel
lowed the soil and added q rich supply
Of plant food to push tho cotton crop
and save a heavy bill for fertilizers. II
the crop is late it will doubtless make
up the time in more rapid growth, and
If it is not quite 90 lar advanced when
bollS begin TO rot some years in August,
it may be as well for the crop. AtRny
rate corn can be planted after crimson
clover has been cut for hay or seed,
and will find its best development after
such q crop.
ITO show some of the possibilities in
this crop, a statement is appended of
the crop grown on the Experiment Sta
tion farm in 1894. This is only what
any farmer may equal or exceed, but
it shows a profitable use of land for the
winter months. OF four acres in clover,
two and a half were harvested in good
order, while one and half acres were
storm beaten when ripe. The yield of
seed in hulls on the unhurt portion
was 1887 pounds per acre. valued at
8 cents per pound, a total Of $44 81 per
acre"
With the distribution of seed sent
out by the station was sent blank re
port to be made to the station by the
farmers who should test the crop, Re-
plies have been received which show
that it has been q success on the sandy
lands Of the coast, on the loans of the
foot hills, and on the clsys of the noun
tains, and following is the final report
Of the station upon crimson clover:
'There are many words of praise and
commendation for this crop from diff
ferent parts OF the State for graz ng,
for cutting to feed green and for hay.
Our own digestion experiments have
proven the hay from crimson clover,
when we'll made as was the case in the
hay to be richer in digestible
food than any other clover which had
then been subjected to experiment in
that line. IG is, however, as a seed
crop and a soil improver that we would
urge it's growth on a large scale. Grim.
son clover seeds freely. It is capable
of adding materially to the incomes of
the farmers of every county and at the
same time to be helping to increase the
fertility of the farms il grown exten.
sively enough to warrant the purchase
of hullers TO clean the seeds for sale.
To improve land, this clover is prob
ably next to the cowpea in value, and
should follow the cowpea and not be
used on poor land until the cowpea has
begun an improvement which this crop
can be used to continue. Il is being
grown regularly at the experiment
farm. At BIltmore this spring we saw
q very heavy crop Of it being fed to the
Jersey COWS green, and hay was being
made of it. The crop is worthy of the
careful atkantion of everv farmer in |