The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-01-16
YELLOW CLOVER.
One Who is Not q Farmer Writes
About Agricultural Matters.
Hnme and Farm
John A. Robinson,
Sec'ty OF Exec'tve Com.

Home and Farm.
Some years ago a plant appeared on
the back streets of this town, no one
knows how. We call it yellow clover,
because its flowers are yellow and the
leaves are light green. There Is q
spot on each leaf from which some
say it is the Irish shamrock, the spot
representing drop of st. Patrick IS
blood. The proper name is probably
burr clover, for it bears kind of bur,
composed ola spiral fuzzy fiber, which
in its cells holds the seeds. The clov-
er has now spread over the town and
Is getting into the country. It affords
me 80 much profit aud pleasure, with
no trouble, that prefer it to any other
clover. I SOW crimson clover with
rye or oats in the fall and get fine
crops Of hay in the spring from
the mixture. I sowed once in lot
separate patches of rye. barley and
crimson clover, pastured all winter,
took cows off about March and then
got three times a. much hay from the
clover as from rye or barley. The
grains however, had furnished more
pa>turage then tbe,clover had. Red
clover also has done pretty we'll with
me. Lucerne I have known all my
life. My mother obtained seed from
Washington and planted them in 1920
on the borders of the garden beds. and
until her death in 1883 the Lucerne
was regularly cut and fed to stock. I
think there are some bunches of it in
the old garden yet.
The yellow clover gives me more
satisfaction than any because it is
productive and 1t takes care of itself.
On a lot of about an acre two cows
and a horse pastured last winter; were
taken off about March, and in May
six one-horse loads of hay were cut off.
Then corn and peas and sorghum
were planted. As soon as these crops
were harvested yellow clover appear
ed, furnishing now fine pasturage.
Like chick weed, it does best in cool
weather. A neighbor has a lot off
which he got crop Of wheat, then a
crop of corn and now it is covered with
yellow clover. Stock are very fond
of it.
When I gather a crop of wheat or
oats and turn COWS into the lot, they
invariably make for the bushes that
spring up along the fence-China
berry. mulberry or sassafras-but
where there is yellow clover they feed
upon it along, and pay no attention to
the bushes.
My front lawn, on which cows
have cropped Burmuda grass all sum.
mer, is now green with the clover and
bluegrass. Soon some orchard grass,
and later on vetch will appear togeth-
er, making splendid feeding among
the frostbitten Bermuda grass. By
the way q gentleman who moved
from Kentucky to this place some
years ago, says that he has seen Ber-
muda grass pasture in this country
superior to any bluegrass pasture in
Kentucky.
Ihave written thus of yellow clover
because realize it's value here, and am
surprised that 50 little is said of it in
agricultural papers.
Before ending, I will say that it
would interest me to know if there are
many older subscribers to Home and
Farm than myself? A copy was sent
me as soon, or very soon after the first
was published. An offer was made to
send me an Avery plow upon my send
ing the names of a number of neigh
boring farmers. This I did and receiv-
ed the plow. That value Home and
Farm is shown by the fact that I have
taken it over since that time, and
have often subscribed for three copies,
having two directed to friends.
I am not a farmer, but am some
what like Henry Ward Beecher, in
the particular that be said that every
time he looked into seed almanac he
felt as be did when reading charm
ling romance. / have been interested
in agricultural papers all my life, and
having few acres around my house q
little practice is had In that line. For
more than week a delightful Indian
summer is upon us, and after the
drouth of August and September the
moisture now in the soil makes the
garden grow. I have now growing
immense cOllards, also cabbages,
plants for setting out, and lettuce.
Some green pepper is left, not killed
by the frost; also some seweetbeans,
which we gather daily. Second crop
of Irish potatoes are grabbed as need
ed, and the barley bed is ready to cut
for COWS. My broadcast turnip patch
is the best ever had, resulting from
the fact that cotton seed was first
sown and plowed in and the -turnip
seed then sown. The cotton protected
the young turnips from the hot sun
and kept them from being too thick
and now, being killed by frost, is out
of. the way. A neighbor, who sue.
ceeds well with turnips always drills
cotton seeds with the turnip seed, to
protect them from the sun.