The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-08-13
Agricultural Department
CONDUCTED BY FULTON S. WHITE.

fall SO that 1t must be planted every
year, the same as wheat. rye. oats, etc.
Crimson clover not only furnishes fine
pasture but as a fertilizer for soils is
even better than our red clover or cow
peas as 1t grows at season when these
cannot be grown Its advantages for
both pasture and as a fertilizer can read
lily be seen. While crimson clover Will
thrive best in sections named above, Mis-
souri, and points south, 1t is being grown
with good success in Maryland, New
York, New Jersey, Delaware and even in
Pennsylvania. Some of the prettiest fields
of this clover l ever saw were in Mary
land where it has obtained permanent
place In the rotation of crops. Another
great feature about 1t is that 1t may be
grown on soils which are entirely too
light and poor for red clover. and will
enrich such soils very fast Light sandy
soils and thin clay soils, where the red
clover would not grow, seem adapted for
the crimson clover and it will grow on
any soils where the cowpea will grow
However, the better the soil. the better
the crop Will be. One of the greatest Sc
crets about growing It's or any other
clover is in having the soil well prepared
before seeding. The soil should be plow-
ed deep and the seed bed made very
fine. 1t is so often the case that farmers
will procure seed of some valuable clover
make a failure then declare that such
things cannot be grown in their sections.
SO crimson clover in this respect is like
other crops, the finer the seed bed Is
made the greater are the chances for
success
When to Sow.
For the sections named from South
west Missouri and south, the best time to
SOW crimson clover lis in the fall, COM
q
middle of September and sowlngs may
be made here up to the middle of Oc-
tober. In Alabama and Mississippi and
other southern states 1t can be sown up
to the middle of November However.
the early fall sowings will prove more
profitable as they give a longer time for
pasturlng. The main point about sowngs
in all sections, is to delay the sowngs
until our hot summer weather is over or
until the nights begin to get cool and give
moisture. While this is true, the time
for preparing the soil Is at hand right
now and there should be no delay what
ever in performing this work, as 1t Is
absolutely necessary to have the seed bed
made very fine before seeding time.
Now In regard to the sowing of crimson
clover with rye or barley for winter graz
ing If the soil is well prepared so that
a good stand of rye Is secured in Au-
gust or early September, there will be
but little difficulty in securing a stand
II the seed are sown on the rye, just
before or during a good shower of rain.
Rye should be sown in all cotton and
corn crops at time of last cultivation and
1t may make slow growth for the first
few weeks or until the hot summer is
past and the nights become longer and
cooler, then 1t will make a rapid growth
and so shade the soil that good mois-
ture will be retained which will insure
stand of the clover at once as we'll as
a strong growth.
Glover and Rye.
Where the clover Is sown with the rye,
pasturing cannot commence so early. as
stock should not be turned on until the
clover gets a good start and should al
ways be taken off before the clover is
eaten down too close or so close as to
endanger its destruction Then again. stock
should never be allowed to run on the
soil when 1t is wet. Pasture only when
the soil is dry. Crimson clover and rye
pasture managed this way will prove
very profitable and if the stock are close
ly looked after and taken off a the
right time, both the clover and rye will
soon grow up again. AS stated before
the pasturing should be delayed until the