Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-11-29
Clovers


get the excess Of phosphoric acid and
potash? 1t gets 1t by sending its
roots way down below these six
inches in depth. bringing 1t up to the
surface and putting it into the clover
tops and the roots nearer the surface.
We are told there is plenty Of the
mineral fertilizing elements deep
down and the clover plant with ite
long tap root brings 1t up.
We had last year in one of our In.
stitutes a red clover plant that meas-
ured four and one-half feet in length,
and on the lower small roots thcre
we're great many little nodulos,
which contained, we are told, The
bacteria Of the nitrogen.
Seeding the Glover Crop.
The best crop to seed with a
clover crop we believe Is winter rye,
winter wheat comes next and spring
wheat neAs. or spring rye is very
good to SOW clover with. then after
that we take spring wheat and thsn
what We call "succotash," which we
are using on our farm quite good
deal; then comes barley, which Ia
probably the poorest crop with which
to seed. On our farm we think it Is
a calamity to be without the clover
crop. SO for that reason we have kept
wheat on our farm when sometimes
otherwise it was not profitable crop,
because we are more sure of getting
clover catch with that than with
oats or some Of the rapidly growing
crops. Our neigh6or, Mr.. Scribner,
uses spring rye and has found that 3.
good crop to seed with. The rye
ripens early, has less foliage than
some Of the other grain crops, and
though the crop may not be as USE
full as the oat crop, we would sacri-
fee something in order to be sure
of getting a clover catch.
We would not pasture young clover
in the fall, unless it was going to
seed; we would not put sheep Or
horses on it in any case. Turn in
the cows and let them eat on the
tops. We want the grain crop to leave
considerable stubble, cut it pretty high
SO as to leave plenty of stubble for
winter protection. There is great pro-
lection in good stubble field. 1t
keeps the snow from melting and
helps good deal to shade the crown,
so that it won't freeze and thaw,
which Is SO injurious to the young
clover in the spring.
The clover crop is the best the frat
year and we would never undertake
to keep it over two years, for that
reason we do not advocate sowing
very much timothy with the clover,
unless to make pasture of it. We
do not SOW any timothy with our
clover, having permanent pasture
for the stock to run on. We ike
medium red and alsike mixed for
hay making and for pasture as well,
sometimes pasturing the second crop
The alsike mixed with the red makes
finer quality Of hay.
Making Glover Hay.
Perhaps not much need be said
about making clover hay. We all
know it can be injured more easily
than any other grass in curing into
hay, on account Of its broad leaves
and its blossoms and its being ex
posed to dampness, dew or rain, or
even to scorching sun, Is very VI.
furious to the hay. so 1t should
be cut In good season, wilted and put
into heaps, left remaining in those
heaps from two to four days, until 1t
cures quite well in the heap.
Possibly In wet seasons we need
hay caps. In season like the last
one, when we got very little clover In
without being damaged somewhat ty
the rain, hay caps we're found very
useful things to have on the farm.
The poorest Of all ways Of making
clover hay is to cut 1t down and let 1t
lie until 1t is cured, then rake 1t up
with hay loader, breaking OF tie
leaves and the valuable portions and
so putting lot of sticks and stalks
into the barn, the feeding value OF