The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1911-08-02

(he has "A opportunity to get manure
in the wintsr) or whether it would be
better to go back to oats again; if 50
whether he should plow this fall, or
disc it few times, and then disc in
oats on stubble next spring.
Our correspondent raises . number
of questions; and we discuss the mat
ter somewhat fully, because he is not
the only man who has lost his stand
Of clover. We suspect that the stands
of clover in southern and central Iowa,
at least, that have stood this dry wealth
er are the exception; and the same is
doubtless true in most sections Of our
territory; for this drouth under which
We are suffering has gripped q very
large portion of the United States.
How to get back to clover is there
fore a very serious problem for the
corn belt; and We wish We could give
advice that everyone could safely fol-
low.
First, We do not see why clover
sown alone in the last half of August
on thoroughly prepared soil should
not make sufficient growth to carry it
through the winter. Alfalfa does it.
We do not see why clover should not
We cannot now point to any instance
where We know it has been successful;
but if We We're in our correspondent
condition. We would at least expend
the time and labor necessary to give
it thorough test-this on the assump-
ton that We have rains during July
and the first half of August, that will
enable the clover to germinate prop
erly. Not being ABSOLUTELY certain of
conditions, talking in fact purely
theoretically, We would not suggest to
any man to put in his whole crop that
way. We have the feeling, however,
that to grow clover successfully in dry
years. We may be forced to adopt this
method of August seeding, as We do
alfalfa If any of our readers have
tried this, we wish they would report
the results, whether success or failure.
If in the winter wheat section,
We would certainly advise drilling in
winter wheat Ton q thoroughly pre-
pared seed bed, in the northern part
of our territory sowing it from the
fifth to the fifteenth of September.
not later than the last of September.
In the southern portion it is preferab-
ly sown the last of September or
the first half Of October. Where
farmers want timothy, they can either
sow timothy with the wheat or sow
timothy and clover next on the winter
wheat, or on rye where wheat does not
succeed. narrowing the grain and thus
covering the clover and benefiting the
grain crop.
One of our correspondents writes US
that he has had success every year by
sowing the timothy with the wheat,
and sowing the clover just before the
ground freezes up, and with out cover
ing. This is at least worth thinking
about; and if any of our reeaers have
tested this method. We would be glad
to hear from them. Theoretically it
is all right.
If you SOW timothy in the fall.
you cannot harrow your grain the next
spring: and in that case the better
way is to sow your clover seed in March
on the frozen ground and trust to the
freezing and thawing to cover it suffi-
GENTLY.
In our own practice We put in win
ter wheat in September then sow tim
othy and clover in April when the
ground is in good working condition,
and cover it with the harrow, which
We have found to be wonderful ben
eft to spring wheat east of the Miss
ouri. This is probably also true where
like conditions prevail west of it; but
the experience of farmers say in CEN
trail Kansas and Nebraska, is in favor
of rolling the wheat instead of harrow
ing it.
We would not advise using oats as
a nurse crop for two reasons: unless
very early variety of oats is sown, oats
require nearly five hundred pounds of
water to for pound of dry matter;
and if the season is dry, the oats sap
the moisture and rob the clover. We
would not expect success from sowing
clover with oats this last spring unless
the soil has had far more than the
rainfall that has fallen in most sec
lions. or has had moisture from a wa
tertable coming near the surface.
Our correspondent asks about top
dressing winter wheat. We do not
see any objection to that In fact.
We consider it advisable on land that is
somewhat worn. and also on land
which gets the full force of the wind
during the winter. In the first case
it would add to the fertility. In the
second it would prevent the roots
from being exposed by high winds in
a dry time in the spring of the year.
-Wallaces' Farmer.