Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1907-06-29
NURSE CROPS With
CLOVER HND aLfRLFA
Experiment Station Advises Against
Sowing Crops With
Legumes


from their experimentation with
nurse crops" which point to the
conclusion that such crops should not
be used with clover or alfalfa. 1t is
conceded that nurse crops are admiss-
able in Western Washington, where
the rainfall is heavy, but, in future,
the experiment station will steadfastly
oppose their use in Eastern Washing
ton, and discourages the nurse crop
plan anywhere. The Investigations
which have led to this decision on the
part of the station staff have covered
a period of several years. Discussing
the nurse crop idea, Professor Sever
ance, of the State College department
of agriculture, said:
"The majority of our farmers come
from the East, and bring with them
eastern notions of farming. Conse-
quently, in attempting to seed alfalfa,
clovers and grasses, they cannot get
away from the eastern idea of seeding
with nurse crop. The experiment
station contends that the climatic con-
ditions here are such as to make en-
tirely unwise the use of eastern meth
DDS. During the spring, while mois-
ture is abundant, clover or alfalfa may
germinate, and start nicely, but as
soon as the soil begins to dry, the
nurse crop robs the legume of its
moisture, thereby checking its growth,
or killing it altogether.
"An excellent illustration of the
effect of nurse crop may be seen on
the experiment station at the present
time. In 1904. a field lying on the
south side of the farm was used for
growing varieties of cereals, and as
the station staff desired to test the
n-shattering qualities of the differ
ent cereals the varieties growing were
allowed to ripen fully, and, as re-
suit, considerable grain shelled out and
found Judgement in the soil.
''In the fall of 1904, this land was
plowed, and early in the spring of
1905, was seeded to red clover. For
this purpose, thirty-two different lots
of seed were secured from different
states of the Union and the Old World.
On many portions of this field, the
preceding grain crop had been secured
without much shattering, so that the
soil was practically clean. On other
in perfect stand. Consequently, al
though there was no intention of
growing nurse crop on any part of
the field, the conditions, brought about
by accident. gave an accurate test of
the effect of nurse crops.
1.-THE volunteer grain was cut with
binder as soon as we'll headed, so
that the detrimental effect upon the
clover would not be as bad as in the
case of an ordinary nurse crop that is
allowed to mature it's seed. Today,
the clover is almost entirely devoid of
those spots where the volunteer grain
stood fairly thick, while on the clean
portions of the field the clover is
growing in a heavy mat. standing
above a PERSONS knees. AS the clover
all came up uniformly over the field,
the test furnishes a strong argument
against the use of a nurse crop.
''The testimony of farmers who have
tried seeding with wheat and oats has
been uniformly against the nurse crop.
While some secured fair stand, they
admitted that the loss due to dry
patches and unevenness of stand almost
counterbalances the gain from the
growth of the nurse crop. The test
also demonstrates the necessity of
putting clover and alfalfa on clean
ground. With the land as foul as
much of the farm land of Washington
is, at times. the field should be sum-
mer fallowed. or used to grow some
cultivated crop a year prior to seeding
clover or alfalfa.
"The station has secured best re-
suits by letting the ground get in con-
dition to work in the spring and then
cultivating it very thoroughly, sowing
the seed week or ten days later.
when the ground was fit to be worked
a second time. This method allows
an opportunity to exterminate the first
growth of weeds, as well as to offer
good mulch on the surface. One thing
absolutely necessary to perfect success
is that clover or alfalfa have the COM
plete use of the land during the first
! season.
"The above applies more particular
ly to Eastern Washington condi tions.
Where the rainfall is as abundant as
it is on the west side of the Cascade
mountains, it is possible to grow
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