Mexico weekly ledger., 1908-05-14
increasing Clover Yields on the
Northeast Mo. Level Prairie

snoul0 Dc made 70 . q means o
making the clover catches mere sure
The results Of the experiment
which the Agricultural Experiment
Station has been conducting on thI
northeast Missouri prairie are OF mucI
interest in this connection since the
show very conciuSively some OF thu
things which may be done to en-
courage the growth OF clover and t
increase the yield.
1t should be said that the thing
which are Of most importance In pre-
venting the profitable growth Of Glove
on this land are, first the lack o.
drainage with the usual accompany
ing sourness Of the soil, second ths
lack Of humus or vegetable matter in
this soil due to the constant cropping
OF the land to corn, cats and timothy,
and third the lack OF available phos.
pilates which is common TO all OF the
somewhat worn areas Of this soil.
Evidently then the first essential e
successful clover growing on this land
Is 20 see that the excess OF water Is re
moved BY properly located surface
drains or possibly in some cases with
underdrains. Ut should be said that
the Experiment Station is expert.
menting with tile drainage on this
fiat prairie and has already secured
some encouraging results) On the
more rolling phases Of this prairie the
matter Of drainage is OF least conse.
quence. The second suggestion would
be TO build up the humus supply
through crop rotation and manurlng,
and the third would be 10 supply some
form Of phosphate TO make up for the
deficiency In the soil.
The following results are from the
soil Experimental field at UnIonville,
Putnam County, which is located on q
typical level piece Of rather vet
prairie:
No soil treatment gave a yield Of
1872 ID. clover per acre.
COwpe2s grown and turned under
gave . yield OF 2457 10 clover per acre.
Cowpeas turned under and lime
added a yield Of 3o7I 10. clover per
acre.
Cowpeas turned under and lime and
bone added yield Of 1866 ID. clover
per acre.
The cowpeas added humus and
nitrogen, the lime corrected the sour
ness Of the soil, the bone supplied
soluble phosphates and the potash
was Of value because the land was
inclined 70 be wet and the supply OF
potash in the soil unavailable.
1t will be seen that the yield Of
clover has been exactly doubled By
the use Of cowpeas. lime and bone,
while it it was considerably more than
doubled where potash was added to
the above combination II should be
aid that the net return in the case
1f the cowpeas, lime, bone treatment
was s5.47 and in the case Of the COW
peas. lime, bone, potash it was s45S
per acre, showing that the treatment
paid q good financial return.
Practically speaking IL is doubtful
rom previous experiments whether
he use Of lime will pay heavy returns
IN this soil. Ii the land can be well
Trained. lining will very probably
lot be necessary, and moreover with
he land better drained the need for
,otash would doubtless disappear,
Iince the analysis Of this soil shows il
be very high in potash II 1t can be
Iuficiently supplied with humus to
et the potash free.
The things which can be strongly /
recommended are first tue building
Up OF the humus supply By crop rota-
ton, the saving OF manure ana posi-
'ly the growing Ct cowpeas. FREQUENT
y a crop OF c)wpeas where they are
ut in at the proper time will pave
be way for a successful clover catch.
should not be sown before
be middle 10 the last Of June in
Missouri. Second the ap-
iication Of $50 lbs. Of good grade oil
one meal before wheat where cloyer
sown with wheat as a nurse cropl
ill aid greatly IN securing q stand.
q this case the wheat viii be beneft-|
! as much as the clover. Bone meal
itn oats and clover viii help the
greatly although It's beneficial
feet on oats is not as great as upon
heat. In short, drainage. crop rota-
on, mauuring and the use Of phos-
latss will all be Of much value, in
creasing clover yields.
NJ. +. Miller,
Agricultural Experimen Station,
Columbia, Mo.
r.