Evening journal., 1903-09-04
LATE SEEDING.
slfalfH Sown In septcmbcr-Exacn-
ttsls OF Glover Growing.

8lfa1fa Sown In septcmbcr-ESacn-
ttsis OF Glover Growing.
Above everything we read or hear
about clover seeding the one point that
seems to stand out very prominently
IS that the seed must be sown in spring
That there are decided exceptions to
this rule has been amply proved on
Elmhurst farm, although at FIRST acci-
dentally, IN this way: Several years
ago, after picking, we plowed one OF
our strawberry beds, intending sowing
it with millet for feeding. We ordered
the millct seed from a dealer In town,
which seed was delivered to us and
was sown by one Of the men while
was attending to other matters. This
was sown on July % When it came
up, which was very quickly. we no
ticed the seed leaves were round In
stead OF oblong, like millet and for q
short time there was much speculation
as TO what we had, but soon decided
that we had a very we'll developed
case Of pure alfalfa. AS the seed had
only cost 90 cents per bushel (millet
price, we had no cause for complaint
BY November il had grown TO be eight
cen inches high, with one clipping, and
very thick. Some OF the roots were the
size Of a lead pencil The next season
three large cuttings were made, aver
aging thirty inches high and extremely
thick. 1t was then plowed under in
October for strawberries, many Of the
roots at but fifteen months from sow
ing being over half an inch In diane.
ter aud thirty inches long Since that
time we have seeded number Of
fields during July, August and early
September after strawberries, peas,
etc, with best results.
One field was an old strawberry bed
sown during the tirst week in August
with twenty-five pounds OF alfalfa
four pounds Of alsike and five pounds
Of small red clover per acre The OBJ.
ject OF sowing the three kinds was thai
we were somewhat fearful there might
be places where some one Of the kind.
might fail for lack of suitable soil con
ditlons for that particular variety
while another kind might succeed fine
ly. and such proved TO be the case 10 d
limited extent. The land was most care
fully prepared being thoroughly fined
down with harrows The seed was
broadcast with a seeder. We divided
the seed and sowed the field twice over
the second sowing at right angles witt
the first, thus insuring a perfect distri
I - A oil ~
cover the seed and the land thoroughly
rolled twice. We believe the grounC
cannot be fined and compacted to'
much. II does not seem to do well witt
US in loose land. From present indica
] tions we think it a good way to use al
three varieties of clover, as they seen
10 grow we'll together and make ;
greater bulk than if used alone. Alfalfi
in the second crop is now taking thi
lead. but the other two are filing NJ
the bottom. BY using this method on
is quite sure to have some kind OF clio
yer growing on every inch Of his plot
at least that is the way here.
One Of the finest blocks of alfalfa W
ever had was sown in September wit
about half a bushel Of millet seed TO tn
acre The millet was intended as
Shelter TO the alfalfa plants during I'll
winter. We notice that these plant
although not clipped, were entirely frt
from rust and were much larger an
finer than those sown a full month b.
fore. They also came through the VIII
ter in much better shape.
The essentials Of clover growing seer
TO be a rich, well drained SOIL we
plowed. carefully fined down Oike a
onion bed is none too good, good see
and plenty of it, covered lightly an
rolled hard. With us n light spone
soil is no good The seed starts wei
but soon dies down, while on heav.
hard packed land it grows like weed
The land must be free from weeds O
alfalfa seems TO be a tender baby O
the start. however lusty it may be
after years.-New York Cor. Rural Ne
Yorker.