Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-27
How to Get the Target Re.
turns from Your Land.
Value of Glover Crop.

At the New Hampshire experiment
station, in an experiment performed
with some cows OF the best dairy
breeds. the COWS were fed upon
diffe rent feeds for certain lengths of
time. and it was found that during the
perioG they were fed upon clover hay
than when fed on any other feed writes
Leigh Maxey, secretary Of Illinois
Corn Growers convention.
Professor Mumford at our own ex-
reriment station concludes that corn
may be supplemented with clover hay
I'm such j way that its influence will be
nractically as beneficial as the supple
men.ing of corn with heterogeneous
concentrate such as gluten meal, and
that neither the use of heterogeneous
rouehage on the one hand nor the use
Of q heterogeneous concentrate on the
other proved to be an ideal ration, but
that the corn and clover hay ration
nossesscd the following advantages:
That 1t is available upon all Illinois
farms; that this combination of feeds
uroduced larger gains, and, considered
from a standpoint of total beef produc-
tion. or the cost of producing such beef,
Il was q large and economical pro-
Queer: and also that the clover hay
ration fed to cattle seemed to extend to
the pigs following the cattle. and that
the value of the manure left in the
ward by cattle fed in this manner was
increased.
If hay is not the desire Of the farmer,
but rather a forage crop. he may still!
satisfy himself by growing 4 crop of
clover, or, better still, I'm my own judy
ment by growing a mixture of clover
and timothy.
When making clover hay great care
should be taken to cut it at the proper
stage of growth, and also to cure it In
such q manner as to secure the best
hay If cut too green it is long time
in curing and Is deficient in some OF the
impOrtant chemical elements necessary
TO make the most valuable hay. and i:
more likely to become musty and thu!
unfit for horses to eat, or even is not 81
beneficial to any kind of live stock
perhaps proving injurious in some in
stances.
On the other hand, when allowed t
become too ripe. parts of the plan
nave Geen converted INTO TNOouy hue
and have become indigestible.
naturally follows that there is a mea
between these two extremes whic
should be carefully observedsby cuttin
when about One-third of the flower
begin to turn brown (bulletin No. So
or, in other words. when the middl
head of each stalk is turning brow
and the other two are in full bloom.
We have now seen to a certain exten
- the value Of clover as a seed, hay @
:, sfoagc.erop. But it has other virtue
almost or perhaps fully as important
- and we feel Inclined to here conside
the qualities as a green manure, a
some Of our eastern states having
more depleted soil than our own hav
called attention to the clover plar
from this pointsof view by their effort
10 restore fertility to these worn and
some instances almost barren soils b
the use of green manure. turning undo
the entire crop. or at least by il
method OF growth, securing to the u:
of the soil the most important and e,
pensive element of plant growt
nitrogen. PlOwing under green croI
raised for. that purpose is one of II
oldest means of improving the fertili,
of the soil.