The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-17
urday, September II. 1901
SHALL WE SOW CRIMSON CLOVER OR WITCH
some OF the advantages and Disadvantages Crop-Tbe
high Price OF crimson Clover Seed-Two Varieties of Vetcb
BY Prof J. F. Dussar. Alabama Field Editor.


even this large investment in seed.
Let us see whether it would be
practicable to substitute either of
the vetches. Undoubtedly this would
be advantageous wherever it is ex-
pected to utilize the cover crop for
nay or for pasturage, as well as for
SOIL improvement. Hairy vetch is un-
der ordinary conditions, the best of
the vetches, which thus far have
been generally tried. It's chief dis
advantage as compared with GRIM
son clover, Is the fact that it occu-
pies the land several weeks later in
the spring, seldom being ready to cut
before the 1st of May, while crimson
clover can be cut near the middle of
April or plowed under about the 1st
OF that month.
BY sowing 22a pounds of hairy
vetch seed per acre, which is almost
as small an amount as can be used
IL vetch is expected to constitute any
large proportion Of the hay, the cost
Tor vetch seed exactly equals that for
crimson clover seed. In addition
there must be sown in combination
with the vetch one OF the grains, say
two bushels per acre of Red Rust
Proof oats, involving an additional
cost Of $3.50, or a total of 1915 per
acre. Certainly the crop of hay pro-
duced will justify this rather large
expenditure for seed.
There is less expensive vetch, the
so-called common or Oregon winter
vetch, which, under some conditions,
in the Southern half of the Gulf
States, can be substituted for hairy
vetch. Indeed, it can be so used in
the northern half of these States, but
here in severe winters, which occur
perhaps not oftener than one out of
four or five years, the common vetch
is partially or completely winter
killed.
The seed being larger than those
OF hairy vetch 1t is necessary to use a
larger amount per acre. Certainly
80 pounds should be the minimum
amount OF seed of common vetch,
and double this amount would be bet
ter. Thirty pounds at cents per
pound. gives an expenditure of $3.50
for common vetch, which when the
cost OF two bushels of oats is added,
rises to $3.50 per acre.
On the whole. under the condi-
tons prevailing this year, it seems
advisable to SOW some crimson
clover though not on as large
scale as the writer would have re-
commended two years ago; to sub
stitute for crimson clover in the
northern half of the Gulf States and
on land not needed for other crops
before May, mixture of hairy vetch
with one of the small grains; and to
substitute in the southern half OF the
Gulf States on a part OF the land the
common vetch, sown with oats, pro-
vided 1t is imperative for the land
to be used before the LIST of May.
The common vetch can be cut one or
two weeks in advance of the date of
cutting hairy vetch.
The high price of crimson clover
seed this year should keep no one
from sowing it, though it may result
in reducing the intended area. Re-
member that a start should be made
with this most excellent soiling plant
even II for no other reasons than to
have at hand for next fall large
amount of inOculating soil More