The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1913-05-02
SEEDING GRASS LANDS
Too Much Importance Cannot Be
Given to Pure Seed.
valuable Characteristic Of Alsike
Glover 10 That u viii Stay In
Soil Several Years and VIII
Ro-0eed itself,
(By r.. @. WEATHERsrONE)

(By r. @. WEATHER8TONE)
Too much Importance cannot be
given to the selection Of pure grass
seed, for there is no greater failure or
disappointment In farm management
than TO fail to secure . good stand of
grass or clover.
Every year l am becoming more
and more favorably impressed with
the value OF alsike clover, although we
have used 1t for = number of years In
all Of our grass and seed mixtures.
We have repeatedly failed to secure
favorable stand of common red
clover. and to our surprise the alsike
would come along and make a good
stand and we would be enabled to
harvest = very profitable grass crop.
Many times red clover will not thrive
for the reason that the soil has be-
come somewhat acid, but the alsike
will make very good crop notwith-
standing the acid condition OF the soil.
Another valuable characteristic of
alsike clover Is the fact that It will
stay In the soil several years, and II
permitted 1t will reseed itself. Alsike
clover grows but little after moving
and no second crop can be expected
from 1t. Both in this respect, as we'll
as the longer time 1t requires to ma
ture its maximum crop, alsike clover
stands after red clover.
Its great and undeniable advantage.
on the other hand, lies in the fact
that 1t Ia more hardy than the COM
mon red clover and can be success
fully cultivated on moist soils and
land that is flooded at certain times
during the year, on which red clover
will not grow.
II alsike clover seed IL mixed with |
pasture grass mixtures, 1t yields rich |
and certain grazing crops, and when |
on arabic land red clover
seed should be sowed with the mix |
ture with which the field is seeded.
In this way great advantage Is
gained In the fact that the first year
after sowing the fodder may be har-
vested chiefly consisting of the red
clover and in the following years after
the red clover begins to deteriorate
the alsike comes in. in its place, and
Yields rich and certain crops, together
with the timothy and other grass
seeds with which the meadow is
seeded.
While alsike does not yield as large
,rops to the acre as common red
clover OF equal stand, yet 1t is very
and In actual feeding value
have found but little difference ton
or ton when it was being fed to
lerd OF dairy cows, and for feeding
iorses and all kinds Of young stock /
AVE found 1t greatly superior The |
lme OF cutting and curing will make
more real difference than the variety.
Alsike clover is not considered by {
OIL experts to be as good soil i'm
rowing crop as common red clover
or the reason that It lacks the
root system of the red
lover, but it is a legume nitrogen
atherer) and hence will build up
he soil and thrive on many soils
here the red variety cannot be used
s nitrogen gatherer
II Is my honest opinion that there
re many farmers who have given I'D
rowing clover who could make a a
access OF growing alsike clover in [
cad OF experimenting with red v
over. a
l have found In actual practice that n
ls better business proposition to II
wv mixture of grass seed that will ii
AXE a certain stand under the usuaI n,
'nditions than to spend large
mounts OF hard-earned money to ex- v,
with a crop 30 uncertain as II
clover, on any field where 1t is te
i practically sure to make a good q,
and. n,