The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-07-17
CRIMSON CLOVER.

IL n~s
son clover have reached us.
This clover is an annual. Tho.
it grows up, blossoms, and prodroS
seed once and dies. By takino
vantage of the habit of an ann1o1|
produce seed, crimson clover can
cut for hay and a quick, sboD1
growth will come up from the root'
or crowns and make quite an abUu
dant crop of seed.
But good land must be selected ..
which TO grow crimson clover. in
der that this effect may be prodnco5
It may live and produce seed fror.
very low, stunted plants on ratbo1
poor land, but it will not pay for +bo
trouble of trying to grow it on s7oI
land. On any land where the con1
pea grows thrifty crimson c7ova.
may be tried with probability a.
success.
IF it is desired to try this clover On
poor land, a liberal supply of con,
plete commercial manure should h.
sown broadcast and narrowed j.
with it before the seed is sown. Tbis
will start the crop, but it ought f.
have organic matter and water in
abundance, in order to make a Drof+
able growth. These may be secured
by turning under COW peas or bar.
rowing in stable manure.
Prepare the ground carefully
Harrow to a fine seed bed, roll firm
SOW seed and harrow with smooth.
ing harrow to cover seed about an
inch deep. This will insure moisture
at the bottom of the dust blanket
where the capillary tubes end and
assure termination.
Sowing should be done in August,
Our best crops have been from early
sowing, once in July; whilst sown
by goth of September at Raleigh we
have seen uncovered seed lie IN.
terminated until last of October,
Do not listen to the syren tale
about crimson clover doing all right
sown on the surface and not even
narrowed. Sometimes in stubble Or
light land, that is rich and during
wet season, crimson clover will
grow and do we'll under such treat
ment. We do not advise risking it,
however.
There is no crop from which
quicker or better returns can be ex-
pected for the effort put forth if
the crop is well handled and seed
sown early enough to secure a proper
growth to start in winter safely.
The writer has grown per acre,
on the Experiment Farm, at Raleigh,
one hundred dollars worth of seed
and straw at the market rates for
seed in chaf and counting the straw
equal to the hay in the market Ito
which, by analysis, it is believed to
have been superior).
Crimson clover hay should be cut
early, before the earliest heads be-
gin to show withered flowers. This
is because it ripens so fast and the
stiff, fine hairs on the receptacles or
form balls in the stomachs Of
horses and mules, resulting in death
in some instances. We have record
ed elsewhere feeding this straw, but
in alternate feeds with ensilage
with no bad results, and have
ascribed this favorable result to the
physical effect of the ensilage in
keeping the mass of food in the
stomach separated and moist
enough to prevent the formation OF
balls.
Digestion experiments proved
early cut crimson clover hay to be a
little better than the best of other
,Iovers. (See Bulletin North Caro-
ina Experiment Station for report
IF the experiment.)
Seed may be had Of any Of the
ead1ng seedsmen or of farmers who
grow it for sale. Some is so grown
North Carolina, and a great deal
n Delaware and New Jersey. There
where land is valuable, and labor
ind tools bear the highest ratios to
Ccres in cultivation, the farmers can
lot afford to neglect so valuable
,rop as crimson clover seed. we
lave urged North Carolina farmers
% treat themselves to a $3.50 to $500
seed hu1ler and grow this seeG
or sale in neighborhoods, towns anu
R1 HNI