The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-09-11
TO MAKE GLOVER CATCH
Must Prepare Soil Carefully
Select Only Very Best Seed
and Put 1t In Right.

It Is no wonder there are now many
poor stands of clover, because inc %.
md clover seeding Is done with rus"'
and only half done. The oats are so"n
roo thick. and the clover Is given sec
ond consideration.
Farmers must not expect to succeed
with clover by any less carclui metilooS
than those that insure success IN o1ne'
lines of farming, and that the farmer
r,us, think more of the clover than he
does of the nurse crop
In the exceptionally dry year oil lsol'
when the clover plants on all oroihory
soil in wisconsin died, there was
flne. thrifty stand upon strip oil virgin
soil where an old rail fence had stooo.
All the nelghboring ground would
hnvo grown clover nifty years before
that time. but the continual cropping
had exhausted the humus supply from
the soil. so that it did not retain sur
ecient moisture for clover growth.
The trouble to get stand of clover
to-day results from farming the land
IA death. 1t Is exhausted of its humus
and hence unable to retain sufhctcnt
moisture for the young clover plants IN
a dry time.
IL takes good ground to grow clover
Tho soil can be made SO rich that 1t
cannot help but grow clover A man
took a worn-out timber farm and by
manuring II brought II up to point
where II grows Immense crops OF corn,
oats and clover.
The farmer will never get his ground
TO grow clover by selling the crops
from the farm and not returning any
thing to the land II the ground now
grows clover well, 1t will not continue
10 do so IL the products are removed
from the land year after year,
Even the man who grows corn. oats
and clover In rotation. selling the prod
ucts and returning nothing to the soil
is sure to come to a time when he
cannot grow clover. There Is not q
farm In tho country so rich in plant
food that IL can stand such tres tmcnt
This is true OF the black prairie soil as
wei as the others
Ii We have good ground we will have
moisture. for ground is good in pro
portion as il Is supplied with humus
and humus Is the element that viii re
tain sufficient moisture in a dry time L
furnish water for growing plants.
The ideal seed bed Is not newl.
pIowcd ground. because IL is too loose
II will dry out too readily II is not
good thing TO plow the clover Groun
In the spring; neither is IL nccessar
10 work 1t with disk or cuItivator.
Tho best seed bed and the one tina
has given me splendid results tho pas
fifteen years Is secured by sowing IN
clover seed on corn ground with oat
as nurse crop. using a good grail
drill for both oats and clover. withou
any previous preparation OF tn
ground.
Then harrow with smoothing haI
row once or twice. or any number {
times There is no breaking OF ii
water ladder and drying out of I'll
soil
Nuch OF the trouble in getting Glove
started is due 10 the shade OF II
nurse crop 1t is a critical time Il
the clover when the nurse crop Is r.
moved, and a good deal of 'he Glow
dies at this time. II docs not die fro
lack of moisture, because 1t previous
Is held It's own while the nurse CT,
was taking moisture from tho Groun
What would you think OF the farm
who would plant his corn and then p
onduS over Il, VI IL WtIf pOhSiDle, b'
compel II TO grow FOR three months
the shade. Then In the middle of t
summer. in the hottest weather T
move that shade. and then blame I
worn plant because II dies?
But this Is the very thing that ma
farmers do with their clover. TIL
grow 1t in the shade OF a nurse or
that is sown too thick. and the result
small tender snindlino plants
What the clover needs is the su
shine every day. from the time that (
seed Is sown until the nurse crop is
moved.
The sunshine for thee lover can
secured by planting IT with an ca
oats. like the Early Champion. VIII
rlpens from ten days TO two We,
earlier than the late varieties
The second help Is to make 4
seeding OF oats. not moro than
bushel per acre. This may seem
very small amount OF seed, but hi
found such seeding very good
for the clover, and also that it produ
fair crop of oats,
The farmer is very particular TO
4 corn planter with which he can d
EXACTLY a certain number of kerr
per hill. knowing that too many sta
Mill reduce the yield.
But the farmer takes no such "a
with his oats seeding He uses
end-ga seedcr and usually sows u
or four bushels per acre. gettinl
dense shade for the clover lot
straw. and Smnl heads of oats
Many n farmer thinks moro of
-.-id Of oats than the catch OF clio