The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-12-31

Supt. w. r. Porter of the North Da-
kota demonstration farms had the fol-
lowing article in the last issue of The
Dakota Farmer;
Up to the present time the eastern
part Of North Dakota has never grown
as much clover seed as it has consum-
ed. Yet here and there men have
grown heavy crops of clover seed that
have given them larger money returns
per acre than wheat, the staple crop
Of the Red river valley ever did.
When such is the case why is clover
not grown on a large scale? Probably
one of the chief reasons is that nearly
every farmer at sometime tried a small
piece of clover and it failed and from
that time on the idea that clover would
not grow in North Dakota was firmly
established in that mans mind. The
high price of clover seed has also de-
TERED many from trying to grow this
valuable legume Others do not care
to experiment until they are certain
the crop will be a success from obser-
walton on their neighbours land.
The principal reason why clover did
not do well in most cases when first
seeded was because the land was not
properly inoculated with the special
bacteria that forms nodules on the
clover roots and extracts nitrogen from
the air for the use of the clover crop
as we'll as wheat or other crops which
! followed the clover. This was very
definitely proved at the North Dakota
experiment station last winter. Soil
was obtained from each demonstration
| farm in the state, twenty one in all.
| Soil from each farm was put into two
| flower pots in the green house. Glover
seed was treated with standard for
maldehyde solution Gone pound for
maldehyde to forty gallons of water)
in order to kill any Of these bacteria
that might be on the seed. The clover
seed was then planted on these differ
ent soils in the flower pots. One pot
from each farm was then inoculated
with clover soil from field where a
heavy crop of clover had been pro-
duced, and the other pot was not in
oculated. In every case where the soil
was inoeulated fine growth of clover
was produced, and in all cases an in
ferior yellowish colored plant was pro-
duced where the soil was not inocu-
lated. though some did much better
than others. This experiment showed
| first. that soil from twenty one coun-
/ ties in North Dakota needed inocula-
ton before good crop of clover could
be produced; second, that all these
4 soils could be inoculated and that a
good crop of clover could be produced
upon them il the climate Is right.
That the climate and rainfall Is right
in the average season In eastern NORTH
Dakota has been proven by the fine
crops of clover seed produced here
and there for the past three or foul
years. 1t is quite possible that tn,
rainfall is too light to produce crol
Of clover with nurse crop in average
wears in the central and western par
of the state. This is certainly true be
fore the soil is well inoculated, but w
hope such is not true after the sol
has been thoroughly inoeulated.
How can a farmer inoculate his soil
Get soil from field that has pro
duced q, heavy crop OF clover who's
roots were thoroughly covered wit
nodules. Scatter this soil over the In
tended clover field at the rate Of 20
TO 500 pounds per acre on q cloudy da
i and harrow into the soil immediatel.
al direct sunlight has q very deadl
erect on these bacteria you want j
7 the soil. Before sowing the Glove
, seed take ten or fifteen pounds OF SO
! we'll filled with clover roots bearin
!. nodules. Soak this soil in water fe'
hours, drain off the turbid water an
soak the clover seed with this tul
bid solution and seed within forty
eight hours. In this manner YOU thor
oughly inocurate your seed. BY aowin