The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1914-05-05
CRIMSON CLOVER USEFUL CROP
New Bulletin of the Department OF
Agriculture Describes Its Value as
Early Pastruage and Soil Improver.

Early Pastruage and Soil Improver.
/ WASHINGTON, d. c., April 90
"A number of ways in which the early
appearance of crimson clover in the
spring can be turned to the farme's
advantage are pointed out in a new
publication of the United States De-
partment of Agriculture, Farmers
Bulletin $40, Crimson Glover Utili-
zation." In the Southern and Central
Atlantic States this crop is of partic-
ular value. Generally speaking it
suffers from the severe winters in the
North and from too great dryness
also it has proved less successful than
elsewhere.
Crimson clover, says the bulletin,
has two great advantages. 1t is an
excellent fertilizer and it can be used
for pasture and hay before any other
green growth is available, the land
being then sOwn with ordinary sum-
mer-grown crop. The clover itself can
be SOwn toward the end of the sum-
mer on land where such late crops as
corn or tomatoes are still under culti-
walton. It's use, therefore, does not
interfere with other products and it's
benefits cost little but the labor and
seed involved.
To obtain the full value of crimson
clover as fertilizer the entire green
crop should be plowed under, thus
adding to the soil a large quantity of
nitrogen and humuS, or decayed vege-
table matter. The poorer the land
the greater is the benefit that the sue
ceeding crop derives from this pro-
cess. A yield of 80 bushels of corn
per acre may ordinarily be increased
by crimson clover to IS, but on richer
land an increase of more than 10
bushels is uncommon. A convenient
method of calculation is to consider
a full crop of crimson clover, weigh
ing with roots and tops, about 10
tons per acre. In this way the soil
is greatly enriched each year without
interfering in any way with the regu-
lar money crops, such as corn, cotton
or tomatoes.
1t is, however, by no means neces-
sary to sacrifice the entire crop of
crimson clover to fertilizing purposes.
Excellent results can be obtained by
ploughing under merely the roots and
Stubble. This it is estimated returns
to the soil 40 per cent. as much nitro
gen as the green crop. When this is
done the clover itself can be used
either for pasture, before ordinary
grass is sufficiently far advanced to be
available, or for hay which can be
gathered in time to leave the land for
for another crop.
Crimson clover intended for hay
must, however, be cut at the right
moment, when the most advanced
heads are beginning to show faded
flowers at their base At this stage
the plants contain the maximum
amount of protein and dry matter,
while the leaves are still present and
the stems comparatively green. If
the harvest is put off. the short hairs
on the stems and flower heads be-
come dry and stiff. In this stage
there is danger that they may form
hard dry hair balls in the intestinal !
tracts of the horses and mules to
which the hay is fed These hair |
balls, solid, compact felt-like struct- !
ures, nearly always cause death. /
Early cutting, however, and judicious !
mixing with other hay will obiviate /
this difficulty to a great extent, and, |
under any circumstances, cattle are
rarely affected. BY dairymen, GRIM +
son clover hay is considered a rough /
age feed fully equal if not superior
to either red or alsike clover.
For early pasturing crimson clover |
IS even more satisfactory, its chief
drawback being the limited period in
which it can be utilized for this pur-
pose. This period, however, is am
pie to enable the ordinary grass past
Ires to attain growth which will
greatly increase their carrying ca
oacity later in the season. After the
cattle are removed, the uneaten
plants and the manure left behind are
under, the manure of course,
forming a valuable addition to the fer
liking effect Of the clover.
AS a pasture, hay or fertilizer,
therefore,, crimson clover offers itself
% farmers at the time when the ordi-
larry Summer-grOWn crops are not
AVAILABLE Incidentally, it should be
'aid, this clover is valuable for pOul-
ry A tubful of handicapped leaves
brown into the pOuldtry yard will
provide the chickens with the best
possible green food at season when
Eggs are ordinarily high and every
hing that promotes laying is most
Welcome. Small pa,ches of crimson
lover are, in fact, grown by poultry
aisers for this purpose alone.
Methods of growing the crop, the
of the seed bed, and the
oils and selections best adapted to
he purpose are discussed in a previ-
us publication of the Department OF
Agriculture, Farmers Bulletin $50,
Crimson Glover; Utilization will be