The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-04-26
ALslkE CLOWN


increasing failure Of medium red
clover has brought alsfke clover IN
to general notice, says Alva Agee ii
National stockman. There is diner
ence Of opinion about the degree Of
its ability to thrive on sour land. but
we do know that It usually makes 1
better showing under adverse condl
tons that the medium red. When
the seed Of the two clovers is mixed
and sown, II one variety falls It II
sure not to be the alsike. This clov.
er is sure to grow II any kind of Glow
er can grow. II is very dependable
I believe, to, that while 1t will make
better stand on acid land than the
red, lining helps 1t greatly. All cloy'
ers want a 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. 1t needs the grass or red cloy.
er to hold it up. 1t does not grow as
large as the red, and yet this year al
Pennsylvania station found one
stalk that was four feet five inches
long after being cut on by the NOV.
er, and throughout the fed the al.
sike stood high amidst the Timothy
and red clover. On good land alslke
becomes large clover, yielding big
lot Of hay.
Alsike is 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
10 be fortified by aid of the honey
bee. 1t is rated little later than
medium red in ripening-one week
later according to Prof Voorhees,
but often the difference in time Is
hardly apparent. This season, when
the alsike is more prominent In our
meadows than the medium red, The
time of blooming of each is practical
ly the same. DR.. Hunt in his book on
the Forage and Fiber Crops in Am
erica" says that there are 100000 al
sike seeds In 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 a.
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, hay
ing a more spreading root system
near the surface. am sure, however
that many people overestimate 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 1t we'll, 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
the subsoil has been emphasized too
greatly-it apparently is not greatly
the superior of many ordinary plants
in this respect.
Alsike is pur best clover for per-
manent pastures. 1t lives several
years, and when pastured off it makes
new growth quickly. This clover is
recommended for low, wet land, and
| know from experience that 1t has
no equal for such land. but It does
finely on we'll drained soils. II 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 1t. when the red Is n
thrifty grower. But 1t is a pretty
good substitute where substitute is
needed, and 1t is a money-maker as
a seed producer in these years OF fail
ure OF red clover seed.