Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-02-13
SOW CLOVER
SEED With
YOUR GRAIN

The Expense Is Small But
Returns May Increase the
Value Of Your Lands Two.
or Three Fold
The growing clover, especially for
a seed crop, has become very profit
able industry in many Of the grain
producing sections OF ne northwest.
Farmers and stockmen who are 10,
Gated in the prairies have experienced
considerable difficulty in getting Glow
er established in thin soils, especial
ly when they we're new. This is due
to the fact that the native prairie
soils rarely ever contain the bacteria
or germs which are necessary, in fact,
indispensable to the successful pro-
duction of claver. The wooded Sec
lions frequently grow abundant crops
of clover as soon as they are cleared
and titled because 1t has been burned
and some of the trees and shrubs
are naturally supplied with bacteria
or soil germ which is identical to
those required. by the clover plant.
When a soil is thus supplied with
these tiny germs it is said to be in
oculated preparatory to the growing
of well developed, healthy clover
plants. Nitro-culture has been reco-
mended as a means OF supplying the
soil with the clover bacteria, but, ON
account of its age, uncertain compo-
sition, etc., it does not usually give
very satisfactory results in the field.
Soil from clover fields is frequently
used to inoculate new lands for the
growing of clover and alfalfa, but it
has been demonstrated again and
again by successful farmers all over
the northwest that the plan advanced
and advocated many years ago by
Northrup, King & Co., the well
known seedsmen of Minneapolis, of
sowing small quantities of clover
seed mixed with grain will soon es-
tablish an abundant supply of the
necessary bacteria and thus the prob
lem Of successful growing is solved.
One or two pounds per acre OF the
best clover seed obtainable is suffi-
cient to obtain the desired results.
Sow it With wheat, oats. barley or
fax. Farmers in lower Michigan who
have been raising fax straw for twine
have maintained their large and
profitable crops by the sowing Of
clover with fax. Plow it down in the
fall or spring and repeat each sue
ceeding season until the roots Of the
clover plants show large number
of "nodules' or punches of the germs
which have the appearance of round
seeds of various sizes. None of these
are present in the soil or on the roots
of the clover plants where the same
is not inoculated through some arti-
fetal medium. When this OCCURS the
value of any farming land is increas-
ed two or three fold. Demonstra-
lions of this fact are in evidence all
over the northwest. We can refer to
sections where the continuous crop
ping Of the land without clover had
80 reduced its fertility that yields
have been greatly reduced and pro-
fits were turned into losses. Glover
came to the rescue being introduced
much as we have suggested and now
these worn out lands, especially In
the sandy sections, are producing
abundantly. Where these lands we're
selling for almost any price that
would relieve the owner from taxes
and repairs they are now charging
titles on the payment of so to ~ dol
lars per acre. Glover growing han
seed as cserod martf marth NTH
Glover growinh has wrought q this
change in values. We can refer ia
instances in which clover fields in
northern Minnesota and the Dakotas
have produced 5000 to 5000 pounds
of hay per acre this year from the
first cutting and to bushels Of
seed as second crop. Such farming
pays handsome profits on land val.
ued at one hundred dollars per acre
and at the same time greatly increas.
es Its fertility. This is demonstrated
by the large crops Of potatoes. corr
and grains that are sure to follow
clover growing. Only the best grades
of northern grown clover seed should