The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-07-24
ALS|kE GLOVER
Grown in the Red River Valley,
and why not in the Jim?
An. Interesting Paper by a Trail
County Farmer

Durlhg Gne institute work, WedneS-
DAY after noon, before the farmers
from Walsh, Nelson Trail, Rurleigh,
and Stutsman counties, Datus c.
Smith OF Blanchard gave a very inter-
esting talk on Lone Year Clover"
and the following is a report of his re-
marks which were listened to with
marked interest and he was accorded
~appreciative applause when he sat
down:
What is our present expeicence with
clover in the Red River Valley?
Does it not amount to about this?
We have found that, if properly seed
ed, we can generally get acatch and
we can as rule carry it safely through
the first winter under the snow that
nils the high stubble over it. We are
delighted and say say I'VE can raise Glow
err" The following winter the clover,
no longer having the stubble to catch
the snow and protect it dies and we
then sit down in wne and say, 1--WE
CdfiLOG raise Clover"
Now, | wish to offer a suggestion.
Nigh call 1t d new idea out for tine
fact the only novelty init is the rec
gonition of the condition named
coupled with their frank acceptance
in farm practice.
Why should we not go earnestly
about raising clover for a one year
corp, get the use OF it that year for
hay or pasture and then pillow 1t doHns
either that fall or in the following
springy
Why should we not raise clover for
q one year crop as we do corn.and bar
ley and millet?
A n year crop of clover costs less
and is far better than any Of them,
dollar for dollar, for renewing the
soil. What a change it would make in
this valley If one tenth of our lands
were every year in clover meadow or
pasture and a like amount plowed
down every year.
By blowing down a n year clover
meadow or clover pasture we would
get a large measure of the benefits de-
sired from a two year crop of clover.
We would thus get a quicker rotation
which might fully compensate us for
losses in other directions. A dollar an
acre would nearly pay for a full seed
ing of clover alone, but for the pres
emit ! think we should seed the clover
with timothy and that would cost
less. Then if the clover fails. as it
sometimes will we have the timothy
left. 1t should not discourage us at
all TO recognize that clover will some.
times fail by this plan, it sometimes
fails in the best clover countries.
Whatever the theories may be as to
The draft of timothy on the soil we
are coming to recognize pretty plain
~ that a timothy sod in quick rota-
tlon brings us back about the nearest
10 prairie sod Of anything that we
have-and every man of us knows that
"a sod of timothy and clover mixed
would be far better than timothy
alone.
Either red clover or alsike would, I
think, answer for this n year crop.
Either would, as a rule, live through
the first winter and each has it's adj
Vantages. But I prefer alsike clover
because it is a better sheep feed, be-
cause it ripens more evenly with
timothy and above all because it
better ehdures on the, land, it drops
some seed every year in the soil.
1t is my experience that where /
nave once sown alsike clover, there ]
always have a sprinkling of it. The
clover bacteria is abundant in it, as it
j is III the red lover acre at the Estate
FOR me. until l gain more wisdom,
| shall mix some alsike clover with
every quart Of timothy seed that we
hereafter put in. "How much al
sike?" is asked. Well, I should say as
much as you can screw your courage
up to, under three pounds per acre,
but half a pound is better than moth
ing. Try it in a small way at any
rate.
| have been trying alsike clover in a
small way for several years and car
recall no recent failure except in the
drouth of 1900. We lost what was put
in that spring and also that carried
through the previous winter, but for.
tunately we had the timothy left.
There are two conditions that seem
imperative in seeding clover and tim
othy as well. Seed very early and
have a firm seed bed. / would add,
seed shallow and under pressure.
This year I observe the results are