The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-30
ALsIKE GLOVER.
A Sure Crop on Any Land on WhIeh
Glover VIII Grow.


Increasing failure Of medium red
clover has brought alsike clover in
to general Lotice, says Alva Agee in
National Stockman. There is differ
ence Of opinion about the degree OF
its ability TO thrive on sour land, but
we do know that It usually makesla
better showing under adverse condi-
tions that the medium red. When
the seed Of the two clovers is mixed
and sOwn, If one variety falls 1t is
sure not to be the alsike This Glow
er is sure to grow If any kind of Glow
er can grow 1t is very dependable.
believe, to, that while it will make
a better stand on acid land than the
red, lining helps it greatly. All clov-
ers want sweet soil.
Alsike, when sown for hay, usually
is seeded with timothy or red clover.
Larger yields of hay are secured by
the mixing, and alsike tends to lie
close to the ground when growing
alone. II needs the grass or red Glow
er to hold il up. II does not grow as
large as the red, and yet this year at
Pennsylvania station ] found one
stalk that was four feet five inches
long after being cut off by the now
er, and throughout the field the al
sike stood high amidst the timothy
and red clover. On good land alsike
becomes a large clover, yielding a big
lot Of hay.
Alsike is a heavy yielder' Of seed,
which is produced in the first crop OF
the season, and not in the second crop
as is the case with red clover. [ sup
pose this is due in part to its ability
to be fertilized by aid Of the honey
bee. 1t is rated a little later than
medium red in ripening-one week
later according to Prof Voorhees,
hut often the difference i'm time In
hardly apparent. This season. when
the alsike is more prominent IN our
meadows than the medium red, tho
time of blooming Of each is prgctical-
ly the same. DR.. Hunt in his book on
the Forage and Fiber Crops i'm AM
erica" says that there are ZOO 600 al
sike seeds I'm a pound, or nearly dou-
BILE that Of medium red. When mix
ing seed for sowing this difference in
size should be kept in mind, and also
the fact that the mixing should be
by weight and not by volume, the al
sike being much heavier. Where
clover Is wanted with timothy and the
red thrives fairly well. the addition
OF one pound of alsike to each four
pounds Of red is good practice
/ Alsike is not valued quite as high
ly as medium red as a fertilizer, hav-
ing a more spreading root system
near the surface | am sure, however
that many people oyerestimate the
deep roofing Of red clover and the
results supposed TO be obtained there
by. Red clover does have a heavy
tap root but anchors it well, but the
great part of the feeding roots OF a
red clover plant are in the portion Of
the soil which the breaking-plow can
turn. The claim that clover does
much of its good in feeding within
he subsoil has been emphasized too
. grcatly-it apparently is not greatly
the superior Of many ordinary plants
in this respect.
I Aisike is our best clover for per-
manont pastures. It lives several
years and when pasturod off it makes
new growth quickly, This clover is
recommended for low, wet land, and
l~.-. ...r ."'ngr0 that it has
lao equal lor such la.d. EG. It does
finely on we'll drained soils. 1t is
not the equal Of red clover for hay or
fertilizing purposes when the latter
is at its best. There is no reason for
substituting it, when the red is a
thrifty grower. But it is a pretty
good substitute where a substitute ID
needed, and It is a money-maker af
Il seed producer in these years Of fail
ure Of red clover seed.