The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-08-25
Burr Clover and Bermuda.

To the stockman Of the South the Sc
curing of permanent pasture is the
problem that claims his thoughts by
day and directs his dreams by night.
Thousands of acres Of good land in the
South are not available for pasture for
many months each year, as no rotation
of grasses has been found that can be
successfully applied to these lands. To
q man coming South from the Central
States these fields are like starvation
staring him in the face. Many grasses
flourish throughout Georgia. Alabama,
Mississippi and the Carolinas, such as
Bermuda, orchard grass, crab grass,
Johnson grass, oatgraSS, but no salts
factory combination of these has ever
been found to make permanent pas
ture. I am willing 10 admit that the
subject has not been Us scientifically
studied as it should be, and advantage
has not been taken of valuable grasses
like orchard grass, herds grass and
the clovers, except in case of few
progressive farmers here and there.
On recent visit to Wilkes County.
Georgia, 1 saw i sight that did Flr-
ginian good all over. 1t was a field OF
burr clover. I never on our most faV-
ored lands in Virginia saw finer
stand of clover, and 1 never saw red
clover as beautiful as this. 1t was
dense, uniform, healthy looking and
very vigorous in growth. I never saw
this clover before. l at once inyeSti-
gated it. 1t was low clover. growing
much like white clover, with handsome
leaves marked with two black spots.
1t had q small yellow bloom. l asked
if it had tubercles on the roots. The
man had never heard Of these things.
l dug up a bunch and found the tuber-
cles punched thickly just below the
crown along the upper roots. asked
if this clover did not make the land
rich. I was told that fields that grew
this clover for q few years produced
heavily. 1 did not wonder. 1t is green
by January 1 here in Georgia and
grows luxuriantly, enriching the soil all
the while till about June !, then it lit
orally dries up and there is no more OIL
its beauty to be seen until the next
January. It is an annual ana tne
most certain self-seeder Of which ever
heard. 1t is easily transferred from
one field to another by simply rakinG
over the ground after the plants have
dried and getting together the dried
heads and some Of the soil containing
seed. brought some OF the tu6ercles
home with me and am conducting ex-
periments with them, which l hope TO
report later.
AS to the value of the clover for pas
ture. I found that the hogs We're just
up to their eyes in it, and were looking
sleek and nice. The only really nice
sheep have seen in Georgia that have
been in the State for number of years
were a bunch Of Dorsets l found graz
ING in this clover field. They looked
healthy and good. Their skins were as
mink as cherries. Cows seemed to eat
if but not so we'll as the sheep and
hogs. Horses do not like it at all. IL
is of no value for hay.
But now to the suggestion that came
to me. On an adjoining farm to this l
found there. another beautiful field OF
the clover. 1t seems to grow every
where down there. In walking through
this field found among the clover Ber-
muda grass. I asked if it interfered
with Bermuda. I was told that after
June the Bermuda had entire posses
sion. The life of Bermuda pasture IN
this section of the South is from May
Is to the first heavy frosts, about De
cember 10. Bermuda grass must al
WAYS be disappointment to the stock
man. because it is dead all winter anu
will not make pasture before the mlo-
die of May. Give Bermuda grass sun.
rich land and a fair chance and it Will
certainly thrive in the South, though IL
NAV be necessary to get onto its ways
a little. Why have we moi great op'
portunity in this combination OF burr
clover and Bermuda grass? The ourr
clover takes possession in January ana
fourishes amid Bermuda roots, enrich
ing the soil all the while. AS it begins
to die away in May the Bermuda takes
nossession and holes it till December
Is. This is the most perfect TT have
ever known. Only about three weeks
without green grass. There is nope
vet for the stoclmen Of the South.-H.
e. Arbuckle, Dekalb County. Georgia
in the Breeders Gazette.
Fertility on Cotton Farm.