Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-07-28
Old Lands Made New With Clover.

Oia Lohoc NhdoC lNSW WIN SiONCE
There are but few stock raisers aut
those of indifferent success in their call
ing, who do not understand that il any
profit is obtained from the animals they
raise they must be fed above the amoun
of food necessary to maintain life. Only
from the surplus food over and abov,
the amount needed to keep the balance
between starvation and natural growth
can profit be obtained. A certain
quantity is necessary in order to break
even.
The virgin soil contained the elements
for the raising of good crops for many
years, but in very many cases the sup
ply has not been renewed in sufficient
quantities to insure any but an inferior
crop of any kind. / have found that the
manure made from feeding the crops
on the farm will not keep the land uT
to its highest state of productiveness.
Enough of it is lost so that with only
this supply the land grows little poor
er year by year. This is shrinking the
capital stock as well as diminishing the
income from it.
Commercial fertilizers are not always
the best investment to replenish this
loss, although they are good in their
proper place. Attention enough is not
paid to the raising of crops that will en-
rich the soil, instead of depicting it.
For our New England climate nothing
is better than alsike or the old-fashioned
red clover.
obtained the best results from plow-
ing Just after hay was harvested and
seeding to clover. The clover gets a
good start through the fall, as do also
the weeds, but the weeds will not ma
ture to form seed before the frost kills
them. Unless the winter is very open
the clover will not winterkill and will
cut good crop the next haying season
and grow good aftermath. Just be-
fore frost plOw this under and whatever
crop you follow it with you will be sur
prised. planted to potatoes and got a
heavy crop, then seeded again the fol-
lowing spring to grass with oats and got
a good crop of oats and catch of grass
that outlasted any previously seeded
ground for many years. l have seeded
to grain with clover in the spring, NOW
ed it the following summer aud then
turned under the second crop with sur
prisingly good results.
This method comes somewhere near
furnishing the soil what it obtained
from decaying LEAKAGE in its natural
state. Cowpeas, or peas OF any kind,
will furnish the same elements, but do
not find so much profit in them as in the
clover. Care should be used that the
clover seed is pure and vital. If one
can raise his own seed he knows what is
in it, and how old it is. Glover seed
should be bright and plump and it is but
little work to test it before sowing. |
venture to say from my experience that
no farmer will ever be sorry for green
manuring. 1t will restore old, worn-out
land to almost new land if practiced
repeatedly. Sow, cure one crop, plow
under the aftermath, take off one crop
of grain, roots or hay, then repeat until
the land is enriched TO satisfaction.
The poorest land on the farm may be
made TO produce luxuriant crop IL
given few years of this treatment. lt
is not an expensive method and is akin
to natures own way of feeding the soil.
If we expect the soil to feed us, we must
feed the soil and feed it with the food it
needs to make it vigorous and healthy.
The plowiug under of green crop with
the use of the stable manure and as
much commercial fertilizer as is needed
should keep the farm constantly in
creasing in value. 1t is bank that will
not fail, safe and sure Investment
c. j. Wiltshire, Orleans County, VT, in
New England Homestead.