Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-08-29
as,iseellaneous &saains.
CRIMSON CLOVER
How it Increased Fifteen Bushel Land
to Sixty Bushels.

fiVW u inSTSaeoo Futoou See"e' S'
to Sixty Bushels.
My farm Is located in Jackson
county, in the mountainous section Of
western North Carolina, and red clay
soil Is predominant. / have grown
crimson clover on my farm continu-
ously for ten years, and am now grow
ing it with more than ordinary sue
cess as a winter cover, as a soil inn
proven and as a hay crop. #
Ten years ago my farm had been
rented for a number Of years and the
methods of cultivation had been the
very worst. The major portion of 1t
had been abandoned as Improbable
for cultivation. The best acres on 1t
would not yield twenty-five bushels.
and the farm would not average over
Twelve to fifteen bushels of corn to the
acre. Some small bottoms yielded a
were a number of scalded places,
ranging in size from one-fourth to one
acre. It looked very much as If 1t
had been painted red and left to hold
so much of the globe together. y
Some of this land is now yielding
100 bushels Of corn to the, acre, and
the general average Of this land Is SO
to 75 bushels per acre. Last year i
raised about sixty tons Of hay and
rough feeds and this year will raise
more. on of ten'acres Of this land 1
cut and saved over thirty tons Of rye
and crimson clover hay this year. On
this same land have a crop Of corn
which in appearance is fully 20 per
cent better to IFS age than any crop
which have ever raised.
When 1 began to raise crimson clo-
yer was keenly disappointed. 1t was
rather thin, short, and none Of 1t fit to
be cut for hay, so I turned 1t under.
tried other leguminous crops with
like disappointment and began to think
my farm a white elephant" but I
stuck to crimson clover. I tried on
the same land the next year. 1 was
again disappointed, but there was
noticeable improvement. I turned 1t
under, and at laying-by corn sowed
the land in crimson clover again and
this third crop showed a decided I'M
provement and yielded fair crop Of
hay. While have, with satisfactory
results, extended crimson clover to all
my fields. yet on this particular field
have grown a crop OF this clover and
crop of corn each year since, now
ing the clover and turning the soil
with q noticeably increasing yield
each year, until both clover and corn
crops have been more than quadru-
pied. 1t is scarcely believeable. but
nevertheless true, that the crimson
clover on this piece Of land, at Its har-
vesting time this year was easily "a
feet high. How did keep 1t from
falling? When I SOW crimson clover
to cut for hay, I SOW winter rye or
winter barley on the same ground.
They help to make good winter COW
er, make good winter grazing, and
help hold up the clover. They make
q fairly good rough hay cut at the
right time and this time fits we'll the
time when crimson clover should be
cut. or course, this was not accom-
plished without repeated deep plow-
ings and some other attentions which
cannot be neglected in soil improve
ment. +
Not red spot can be seen in the
fields which were once red. They have
taken on a very dark color. The fields
that were barren all winter and had
but poor crops during summer are
now green the year round, except a
few weeks after the clover Is cut when
they are being prepared for the corn
crop. A large per cent of this change
is due to deep plowing every year and
keeping the soil thoroughly full Of hu-
mus, the major portion Of which was
supplied by turning under crimson
clover or crimson clover stubble. or
course. three things had to go: the
| light team, the light plow and the
farm hand who would not adopt mod
ern and improved methods, but who
held on to the hoe with one hand and
read the signs Of the moon In the
other.
I will say right here that I find
crimson clover a most excellent crop
to precede the seeding Of red or sap
ling clover 1t helps to enrich the soil.
1t supplies the humus which fits and
mellows the clay ground and to an ex-
tent seems to inoculate and make the
soil rece ptive for the other clovers.
II the land is properly prepared for
the corn crop, 1t is properly prepared
for the clover; but with our clay soils,
the ground is not properly prepared
in one year or even two, but 1t takes
several successive civilizations to prop
erly prime the soil and in this GRIM
son clover cuts an important figure,
for there must. be plenty Of humus In
clay soil before 1t can be made to be
in a prime condition for the crops, so
you may have to sow crop or two
as an aid to getting the soil in proper
condition. Sow in corn from July 20
to August Is. at the rate Of at least
one peck to the acre, and run tooth
harrow or light cultivator not over
one inch deep. Don't risk sowing II
on top Of ground, as some do, without
stirring ground lightly. This is TAX
| ing too much chance Of drouth be-
fore it gets we'll rooted. 1t will do In
this section to SOW as late as first days
of September, but / urge earlier seed
ing so that the roots may have time to
make the necessary deep roofing to re-
sist the heavy winter freezings which
may reasonably be expected In this
section. I would add here that I give
my corn ground thorough prepara-
ton, cultivate level, and SOW all my
clovers and grasses IN the corn from
July 25 to August Is, so that 1t gets
the benefit Of the dog day showers. In
this way l have not failed for years to
get a stand. In sowing this way,
have not so much as had a naked