Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1913-06-28
Sweet Clover Again.

e. G. F., Finney county, writes: ST
have noticed the widespread interest
| being taken in sweet clover as is
shown through the correspondence of
subscribers appearing in Kansas
Farmer. 1t is surprising to me that
this interest has not been manifest
many years ago. / have been grow
ing sweet clover for seven years, and
what 1 write is from my experience
and observation.
almost all my clover grows ON
! fields in the Arkansas River bottom.
The soil is sandy loan and from
3 to. 10 feet in water. l do not irri-
gate. Sweet clover, however, will
| thrive under irrigation and otherwise
| favorable conditions.
Il have pastured cattle, horses and
mules on this clover. 1t makes early
abundant pasture and stock eat it
with relish. / have never handled
any sheep or hogs on my clover fields,
but have had correspondence with
hog and sheep growers who have and
who claim that they like sweet clover
better than alfalfa for pasture.
Il have fed sweet clover hay for the
past seven years and all fall, winter
and spring have been feeding the
clover straw from my last falls
threshing.
''The yield of seed per acre, varies
considerably, but from 120 acres last
fall 1 threshed little over 900
bushels. We count 60 pounds of seed
! to the bushel. The seed started sell
ing at $40 bushel early in the fall,
but has gotten up to SIS a bushel now.
''There is no question about sweet
clover making good pasture for all
kinds of stock, but as spring and fall
pastures / am speaking now of the
large white blooming variety. AS
I illustrating the value of clover for
hay, i can give you one instance.
4 Last fall 1 sold all my straw and
hay to Thomas Cowgirl, ex-state
treasurer of Missouri, who has {, large
ranch out here and who full feeds a
great many cattle. Mr.. Cougill
thought that while he was putting
high-priced grain into his cattle he
would prefer to supply the best of
roughage in the form of alfalfa hay,
katir and corn forage. His superin-
tendent at several different times
told me that the cattle would leave
the alfalfa, kafir and cane for the
sweet clover hay and stay on it. L
observed this fact for myself. There
was something in the sweet clover
hay that the stock liked. It is my
understanding that the yellow bloom
ing variety is bitter and Stock at
times will not eat it.
cat the present time there is no
market for sweet clover hay, baled,
but / can remember when there was
none for baled alfalfa hay. sell all
my sweet clover hay here, but l am
thinking of baling some and shipping
carload to Kansas City. / will then
take some Saturday afternoon off
when the live stock exchange is not
busy and will endeavor to arrange to
have few bales of the best alfalfa
hay, the best timothy hay and some
sweet clover hay placed before the
held-over cattle, horses, mules, sheep
and hogs, giving the animals them
selves an opportunity to express
their preference and thereby allow
the bystanders to Judge as to which
the stock prefers. 1t is my under
standing, too, that. the fattening
qualities of sweet clover hay are
create than those of alfalfa.
cit would be my judgment that on
the uplands of westerns Kansas where
irrigation. canast.he tra4 ,4ssxeet clover
should be sesa in,rsrs. about three
feet apart and cultivated like corn.
Since tine clover punches heavily
fields SO Sown will soon look like
solid fields and l believe will produce
nearly as much tonnage of hay and
yield of seed as when Sown from
drilling or broadcasting. Sweet clover
seems to grow where almost any
other crop will grow, and in many
instances where other crops viii not
grow, and / heartily recommend it
for the uplands of Kansas. kansas
Farmer