The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-07
GERMAN CLOVER
AS .LAND-|MPROYER.
Experience Of Virginia Farmers
With the Beautiful Red
Headed Grazer.
HOW BEST 10 CULTIVATE lit
Not Mucl, as Hay, but Affords
Superior Grazing aud I'M
proves Land.
ny s1LAs sHELnuRNE.

Some twsnty years ago German
crimson clover began TO be Used in
this section In n small way by a few
people who sowed about half an
acre to cut for green feed for their
horses. This proved so satisfactory
for feed. also for Improvement of the
land, that It's use is now becoming
general. The more progressive farm
ers arc now sowing from ten to fifty
the. James River below Richmond are
now sowing from four to five hundred
acres. They find the land on which
1t has been grown produces at least
onc-third more tobacco or corn. EN-
periments have been made by a num-
Der of planters to show this increase,
and where 1t has been sown in corn,
the same land can be replanted in corn
for number of years, making agbet-
ter yield each year. We hear of one
planter south of Richmond who has
gotten his land up from two to ten
barrels Of corn per acre by sowing
clover in the corn each year, when he
plows 1t for the last time.
After sowing the seed. about twenty
pounds to the acre, run the cultivator
up and back In the same row. We re-
gard this as the cheapest and best fer
tiliZcr known to this section. which,
at the present cost of the seed, would
only be about $l.25 an acre. A great
many people cut It For hay and say 1t
Is very good. but I do not regard 1t
as extra good for that purpose. We
think 1t will pay better for grazing
In fact, we know OF nothing better for
stock of all kinds, also for fowls, ard
1 regard 1t as fine grazing for hogs,
n Ntyt. hon ,f M ho rni Sa
the hogs on German clover. then put
the Same land in peas and fatten them
or the peas. BY this method the farm
or saves labor. and soon gets his land
into fine state OF cultivation. Both
these crops are used by some as fall
low, but I would not advise to turn
Under too much green stuff of any
kind, as you are likely to sour the
land unless lime Is used freely to cor
rect It. The Improvement to the land
is from the root. and L think it pays
better to Craze It. Sax
Sometimes rye is sowed with the
clover. This Gamble grazed in the win
ter; then Craze the clover in the spring
until time to plant other crops. This
will give some four or five months for
grazing. and leave enough clover to
turn under to advantage.
II you wish to improve this land
more thoroughly, and to make more
/ y
man clover with peas. and cut them
for hay in the fall: then follow the
peas again with another crop of Ger
man clover, and / feel sure that one
T acre of the land SO improved will do
the work Of two or three acres not so
improved.
The scarcity and high price Of labor
must show our farmers they cannot
continue to make corn on poor land,
Or even on fairly good land, and 1t
does not pay to turn land out to rest
as our old farmers used to do. think
ing to improve the land by It. We
find it advisable to grow at least tSo
crops on the same land each year, one
leguminous crop between each grain
crop. Our planters must learn not to
rely SO much on fertilizer to make
their crops, but to cultivate such crops
as feed the soil from the, atmosphere
Or these crops we regard German
clover and peas the best for this sec
ton.
II one-hdlf the amount spent TO,
fertilizer In the last twenty years had
been spent in the cultivation of legu.
minous crops. such as peas and Ger
man clover, this section would now
bloom like rose, and the producing
capacity of our land would have beer
& more than doubled.
a, When the value of German clover
becomes well known, and our planters
get out OF the old rut Of raising onl,
corn, wheat and tobacco. our farms
VIII be twice as valuabl as they nov
are. and the young men will find the,
/ can make a living on them. withou
coming to the cities to do So
The agricultural situation In oul
section resolves into these conditions
That our people must rely more OF
mixed crops. moro live stock, more ma
nure. and better methods Of takin,
care Of 1t. and the more cultivation
OF such crops as will improve the con
dition Of the soil by feeding the plan
Win nitrogen from the atmosphere.
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