The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-28
SEEDING TO CLOVER,
This Crop Is One of the Most Valuable
and Should Be Cared for.

One Of the most important, il MOI
the most important, crops raised on the
farm, is the clover crop. IL serves I
double purpose. 1t furnishes an abun
dance of feed for the animals kept OF
the farm, is relished by all from th'
horse to the chickens, and at the same
time the roots permeate the soil put
ting ii in better physical condition
than before, and gathering the elem
cnts from down deep in the ground
as well as the nitrogen from the at
mosphcre, making them available foI
the subsequent crops which follow In
the regular rotation.
The first essential is good seed. With
out good seed no manner of after treat.
mcnt can mako agood crop OF clover
therefore, If il Is a matter OF first i'm.
portance 10 select only such seed as il
best adapted 70 the locality in which
one lives, and then testing the same in
order 10 know what percentage Of the
seed can be depended upon 10 gerInin-
ate, says the Michigan Farmer. In sell
Getting seed from different localities,
that grown near where it is TO be sown
viii be much harder and give better re
suits than that grown very much far
Their south. Seed grown north OF the
locality where il is TO be sown will also
do better than that grown very far
south
The old fashioned method Of throw.
lug the seed on the surface and trust
ing 10 the subsequent freezing and
thawing, and the rains to cover the seed
viii not work as well as when the land
was new and contained large amount
OF vegetable mold, which encouraged a
rapid root growth as soon AZ the seed
began 10 grow and seek foothold This
method can only be trusted on loamy
soils, that are fertile, and inclined TO
be porius in the spring Of the year.
On gravely and sandy loans, when
seeding with winter wheat or rye, IL is
by tar safer to sow the seed on the sur
face, and then 90 yer with spike tooth
harrow. and stir the ground we'll One
can follow with a roller to make the
sell, after which 1t win hold the moist
ure IAN important essentially better
than TO leave il loose. Ii the surface
OF the ground il not well supplied with
vegetable mold, q moderate amount Of
commercial fertilizer that il rich in nj
trogen, TO start root growth will help
very materially. We would put the
fertilizer ON the ground before the har-
row IS started. We have obtained ex-
cellent results by applying a light coat
Of compost made Of equal parts OF
stable manure and swamp muck. The
compost can be applied in the fall or
during the winter and early spring. The
beneficial effects Of this application will
be noticed for two or three years. 1t
works web on hard clay knobs, where
much difficulty is experienced in get
ting catch of clover.
We are aware that this method of
seeding is more expensive in point Of
labor, than the old slpshod plant too
often followed, but it insures good
catch, and increases the subsequent yield
OF clover. The amount Of good seed
required per acre is around -four quarts
ON loany soils, and Eve quarts on gray
ely and sandy soils. As to time Of
ter part Of March or FIRST of April, IL IL
is to be sown and left for the rains to
cover the seed. When one Il going 10
harrow the ground to cover seed IL II
always best to wait until the ground IL
settled and in fine condition for work
ing When sown with winter wheat the
working loosens the soil, lets the air in,
and benefits the wheat by encouraging
an early growth more than enough to
repay the labor Of narrowing, When
clover is sown with spring crops, ii
can be thrown on the surface while the
land is loose from being prepared for
the grain crop, soon after the grain is
sown, and worked in with light spike
tooth harrow.