Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1910-07-27
CRIMSON CLOVER.
Timely Article, Upon Plan.ing
Crimson Clover as Winter
Cover Crop. Lay Your
Plans.

,mer SO will crimson clover and 9TH
er legumes increase the fertility of
the soil in winter, besides making
hay of superior quality. The fol
lowing timf5 article upon planting
crimson clover, as a winter cover
crop is from the last issue OF the
Progressive Farmer, of Raleigh:
It is generally known that most
regnmes do better on soils contain.
ING considerable lime, and some of
them positively refuse to make salts
factory growth except on what are
popularly called lime soils, 1t has
even been suggested that the ire
t1xent failures with crimson clover
are largely due to lack of lime IN
ahe soil This seems to us very
asprobaSle, for we have seen splen-
did crops, of ii on the Coastal Pain
sandy lands OF North Carolina,
where there is certainly little lime,
and also on soils in Mississippi and
Alabama which are deficient in car
ibonste of lime. 1t may be more
easy its obtain the necessary inoeu-
lstion on lime soils, but we believe
crimson clover may be successfully
,gsozsa on almost any southern soil
that is sufficiently weil drained to
grow the common crops ana ana IS not
ssssitiyely sour. Like most other
crops. it will do best on rich soil
Time to Sow.
One of the chief obstacles to the
extensive growth of crimson clover
is the uncertainty of getting a stand
of vigorous plants. This difficulty,
Granting the soil is inoculated, is
probably gost due to the dry wealth
er during the fall, SO characteristic
of the Cotton Belt, Early, say in
July and August, there IS sutaci ent
ssoisture to bring up the plants, but
.I hot, dry weather follows they
may dis, They are more, likely to
dc jf the soil is not properly moe
ulated, but eXea when the soil is
known to be inoella ellafasal, asesa, 3 stand is
frequently lostif Aaggaast apa Sep
4 tenaber are anusaaIIg y hot and dry u;
on lie other hand, if tbs sowing be
mi, off until late in the fall there
nav rot be sufficient moisture to
bring M die plants and enable them
ito make the ascessary growth to
. .witbstsnd the essly winter freezes.
Too late planting, OF too esssily plant
ING is, therefore, rather risky; Rat
there Is 20 time when difficulties ,m!afy may
not beeneeHptered. The latter part q: t
Of septea ssr End the first half OF
October would seem the most ia
yorable SEASON. If there be s9aHielen4
moisture in the ground. in soile
we'll supplied with humus and prop
erly prepared, such moisture viii
asRslly exist, but this is not always
the eSse,
Preparation of the Soil.
A freshly prepared soil is best, but
the crop is probably of most value
az q winter cover for cotton lands.
The soil is in best condition in the
COTTON field at the time of the last
caltiyaSi9p of the crop; but this is
usually too early for the greatest
safety in securing stand that will
withstand the hot dry weather of
August and September. 1t is, there
fore, probably advisable to freshen
ap the surface Immediately after the
first or SECOND picking, sow the seed
and cover lightly with side harrow
or shallow-runpipg enltiyator.
Seed.
When crimson clover seed could
be purchased for from So to 81 g
bgshel of SO pounds, and l5 or 20
poands per acre sowed, the cost
was extremely reasonable; but with
seed now selling ior double, that
price the advice to hrst prove that
you can grow it successfully on a
small area becomes especially i'm
portant.
The seed deteriorate more or less
,apidity and consequently care
should be taken to obtain fresh
seed, shown by their bright, shiny
appearance, or test should be
made of their terminating qualities
4 before they are sowed.
incubation.
We know of no legume which
more positively refuses to make
anything like a satisfactory growth
without the soil being well inocula-
ted with the germs that live on it's
roots and enable if TO get it's nitro
. gen from the air. # every other
instruction is followed except this
!. and failure results, do not blame us
OF crimson cloyeF. The fault will
be yours.
Where the bacteria are lacking it
requires repeated seedlings on the
same land 2 OF 3 years, or that the
germs be put in the soil direct, to
secure satisfactory inoculation. A