Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1912-11-15

WV VI al the advantages nalnSu
above which are to be obtained by
the growth of clover, not any one
can in my opinion be counted as
more important than the other.
Each section of country doubtless
suffers in its own particular way.
One district suffers from weeds
growing on the sides of the road.
Another owing to the topography
OF the country has trouble with the
slopes of the road washing after
and during heavy rains. The clover
bed will be found a remedy for
many of them. There are few
soils in which it will not take root.
The ground needs no special pre-
paration, except to make the sides
decline enough to achieve the de-
sired drainage without the steep
ness that endangers the road from
washing. In newly built road
the surface soil is always sufficient
ly loosened in the grading to allow
the seed to make a ready catch
The variety of clover in use on the
roads of Idaho is the Trifolium
Repens, the native white clover or
shamrock of the Rocky Mountain
regions and the west. This variety
is sufficiently we'll known as to not
make it necessary for me to enter
into any description of its growth,
sufficient that it is prolific, short,
being few inches high, and close
in texture. It's roots spread in all
directions and bind the soil we'll
together. AT first weeds will spring
up i'll the newly prepared ground
and take root with the clover, but
they show lack of energy even as
early as the second year, but in
time the clover will take the ground
and choke out any other growth so
vigorous is it. The experience in
the timbered sections of this Prov
ince is that clover will kill out
brush and even young growth of
timber. OF the weeds native to
Idaho which are found on the
roads and which thrive the most,
the Dandelion, the Burdock and
the Goldenrod afford the most re-
sistance, but they yield to the close
choking, vigorous growth of the
clover. Artemsia is another weed
found along with the Dandelion
almost exclusively confined to al
luvial soils along rivers and lakes.
They both recede before white
clover. The variety never needs
cutting as it is of short growth
Stock will Craze it very little, hors-
es will rarely touch it. The win
ter affects it to some extent mas
much as the cold lifts it out of the
ground, exposing the roots but af-
ter several years of growth it suffers
no injury on this account. The
variety makes great growth in
all parts of South East British Co
lumbia where the temperature dur
ing cold spells is often 10 or S be-
low zero and is not affected but of
course there is considerable snow
fall which covers over and keeps
warm the clover. In the States OF
Illinois, California, Maryland and
Idaho this system of road keeping
is carried out with success. II
has been in operation in Idaho for
for twenty years. The State of
Washington has highway laws for
the suppression of plant pests but
does not require any special growth
as substitute. The clover does
not die cut but on the contrary
spreads rapidly. l feel quite sure
that after a year of establishment
il will survive the most severe win
ter. l have no doubt that in GER
tain localities owing to the nature
of the soil and other conditions it
will be more difficult to get the
growth started, but a certain
amount of fostering can be given it
without much expense and work.
1t is difficult for me to describe
how pleasing it is to the eye to