The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-08-21
CLOVER AND GRASSES.

CLOvERS AND GRASSES. tContinued)
Red and sapling clovers are very similar
in growth and in general appearance.
The mammoth or sapling clover will grow
to nearly twice the size of the common
red clover and Will often make a stand
on soils where other clovers would fail
Hay made from the mammoth clover is
inferior to that made from other clovers
The greatest value Of the mommoth Glow
er is in Its strong growth habits. growing
where others fail. and proving very hardy
and very valuable for turning under for
green fertilizer. The roots also grow
to a greater depth than those Of the
common red clover, making it a good
subsoiler.
Both these clovers may be grown In the
south ANIMALS and where so used it
would be best to sow the seed in the
fall It Is a common idea that middle
Tennessee is about the southern limit for
the successful growing of these two val
liable clovers. But experiments have
proven that there are sections In North
Alabama and North Mississippi where
either or both may be grown successfully
and especially SO when properly sown and
grown as ANIMALS. As stated before, the
best time to SOW In these sections is in
temher, and on up to November, accord
ing to location However, where there
would be moisture to secure an early
stand the early sowlngs will prove more
valuable, especially so for winter pas
ture, and for pasture the mammoth
would prove more valuable perhaps than
would the common red For hay should
prefer the common red and would SOW 1t
with winter vetch, as the two together
will make a much better crop of hay.
The common red Slower may be sown for
hay with vetch the same as recommend
ed for the crimson clover and vetch in
my writing of last week. I would state
here, however, that for nearly all soils
and conditions in the south, I would pre-
fer the crimson clover to either of the
other clovers named, either for pasture or
hay.
For Tennessee Kentucky and Missouri
it may be best TO defer sowing until
February March, but even in these
states crimson clover should be sown IN
the fall. A good plan would be to use
for the common red clover some grain
nutse crop, rye first and best of all, bar
ley next and then wheat. but never oats.
I hardly like to risk clover without some
one of these nurse crops and for the
three last named states a good plan is
| to get the soil In fine condition, SOW the
| grain In the fall and SOW the cloN n seed
| in February or March and harrow in.
The narrowing will help the grain crops
end in this way a stand of clover may
be secured ahead of the weeds. ] was
very much impressed with the Maryland
idea Of perpetuating or keeping the lands
seeded to clovers. Here the practice is
to cut the first crop of clover for hay,
| let the second crop grow up and mature
seed, then turn all under in the fall as
soon as the seed are ripe. The following
! spring plant this land to corn. follow this
with wheat in the fall and the next
| spring the clover seed comes up in the
wheat and another stand of clover Is
secured. This Is fine rotation and one
that always keeps the soil in good con-
dition. find many farmers in Missouri
who are also practieing this same rota-
| ton.
Alske and Swedish Glover.
| This is the hardest of all clovers, Is
| perennial and on rich, moist soils 1t
| yields an enormous quantity of hay or
| pasturage, but its greatest value Ia
| for sowing with other clovers and grasses
| as 1t forms a thick bottom and greatly
| increases the yield of hay. Cattle prefer
| 1t to any other forage 1t is also a fne
honey plant bees being particularly fond
| of it, Alsike clover and red top grass
J make a fine combination, and will give
/ fine crops of hay or pasturage on soils
| which are too wet to produce lother Glow
| ers or grasses. Alsike clover is largely
| grown in our upper lake regions where
| the soils are moist and very rich | found
| it growing in Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan
| and northern New York | now find IL in
many sections of Missouri, where it is
| thriving remarkably well. In our more
| southern states or states south of Mis-
| rouri. 1t would not be adviable to try
| to grow this clover except on favored
| spots where the soil Is both rich and
| moist. and where the moisture may be re-
| tanned the entire season. Even In
these sections 1t would be best
| to grow red top with 1t, as the
| red top will assist In shading and re-
tanning the necessary moisture. This COM
bination would prove more profitable in
| our southern states for pasture In win
| ter than 1t would for hay. But like other
| clovers and grasses 1t would be neces-
| sary to prepare the soil. Get clear of all
| noxious weeds before sowing the seed.
| Wherever soils are too wet to be Guilt
| waited or prepared sowings may be made
| and the chances are that the clover (Al-
| sike) and grass Cred Top would catch,
and In time take the land. The greatest
difficulty In this is that the soil might be
too sour for the plants to succeed. But
| we have sections where this combination
may be used to good advantage and
profit.
|
! find this valuable clover growing spon-
taneously over all the following states:
Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee. North
| Carolina, Georgia, Alabama. Mississippi
! and Louisiana. 1t Is lowgrowing,
spreading or creeping annual, and seems
| to be particularly adapted to the southern
states. While we thought for some time
that 1t would not grow north OF Tennes-
| see to advantage, yet we find it this
season growing all over southwest Mis-
! souri,. Farmers in many sections have
| been mislead into believing this to be some
| worthless weed, when it is one of our
| most valuable plants 1t does not usually
make its appearance until the weather
| becomes warm, and then 1t will give fine
| pasture for all stock during late summer
| when all else Is burned out and dried up.
| Another valuable feature of Japan
| clover Is that 1t will grow on the very
| poorest of soils and will thrive on any or
| all soils except thin sandy soils. / find
| 1t growing ON heavy clay soils as well
! as on heavy black lime soils. Being one
| of the leguminous plants, 1t is very val
| liable for retaining and enriching worn
| cut soils. While 1t Is a small, creeping
| plant when II first comes up, yet as 1t
| grows 1t inoculates and enriches the soil.
| increases In size until II loses to a great
| extent Its creeping habits and grows
| UP erect like other clover often growing
| as high as two feet. In old Mexico / saw
! 1t growing in many Of the fields with al
| falfa, where 1t Is cut with the alfalfa
| for hay, making hay very similar to
! that of the alfalfa, and equally as valu-
| able
There is something very peculiar about
80 I'm