The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1899-02-17
Glover for Sick Land.

In every case we would say SOW
clover every time you SOW small grain.
even II you will be compelled to plow
1t up the fall after it is sown, says Wal
lace's Farmer. Keep your land full of
grass roots so as to prevent nitrogen
from being washed away during wet
seasons.
This kind Of treatment will cure the
Kind OF sickness that results from sue
cessive grain farming, and we present
1t now not because it is anything new,
In fact, we have said the same thing
over dozens of times in the last ten
years, but for the sake of some thous-
ands of new subscribers to whom we
have never presented it before. 1t is
one of those stories that will bear tell
Ing good many times, for the fact is
that there is more sick land in the
west than sick people.
There are portions of land on almost
every farm that are not exactly sick.
The fact is, they were never we'll, but
can be brought into vigorous and
Astounding health with great profit to
the farmer If he will give them his I'M
divided attention and do little ac-
tive work. We refer to sloughs and
swales, more or less of which are
found on every farm. The soil of these
is black, has plenty of humus, an ex-
cess of it in fact, but the trouble Is
that it is drowned out. 1t is full of
water most of the year, which excludes
the air. and therefore prevents the de-
composition of this vegetable matter,
| prevents the plants from using it, and
hence will grow only rank, coarse,
| heritage that can live under hard con-
ditions. Something may be done for
these lands by setting them to alsike
clover and keeping the coarse grasses
mown off until the alsike becomes es-
tablished. If these coarse grasses are
mown off a couple of times year and
alsike is given chance, their roots
will decay. This will give the water a
chance to soak down instead of being
held on top and will measurably dry
out the land. The only remedy, how
ever, that is permanent is that of tile
drainage, which means simply lower
ing the water level to the extent of the
depth of the drain and allowing the air
to have access to the upper three or
four feet, and let it set up its factory
of fertilizers, which it will do if permit
ted. Two or three years cultivation
will correct the sourness, or, as the
scientists say, the acidity of the land,
and these lands from being practically
worthless will become in time among
| the best on the farm.
Crimson clover is not of any particu-
lar value in the west for the reason
that it will not stand the winter, and
it is not always easy to get a stand Of
any kind by sowing with corn at the
last cultivation on account of the dry
weather likely to occur in July and
August. This is no misfortune for the
reason that better results can be OBJ
tanned by the use of either the COM
mon red or the mammoth. Even where
farmer has no stock and where he
intends to keep his land in continuous
cultivation, it will pay him as above
suggested to SOW clover with every
crop of spring grain, and when the
conditions are such as to secure a
stand it will pay him at present prices
Of seed to sow in his corn at the last
| blowing. The sowing of clover is the
one sure, cheap, easy way of restoring
sick land to health.