The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1914-05-02
CRIMSON CLOVER
A USEFUL CROP

A number of ways in which the
early appearance of crimson clover in
the spring can be turned to the far
mer's advantage are pointed out in a
new publication of the United States
Department of Agriculture, Farmers
Bulletin, $40, Crimson Glover Utii-
zation." In the Southern and Central
Atlantic States this crop is OF particu-
lar value. Generally speaking it suf-
fers from the severe winters in the
north and from too great dryness west
of the Mississippi. In Florida also it
has proved less successful than else
where.
Crimson Glover, 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 an ordinary
summer-grown crop. The clover itself
can be sovn toward the end of the
summer on land where such late crops
as corn or tomatoes are still under
cultivation. Its use, therefore, does
not interfere with other products and
its 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 adj
ding to the soil 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-
oacc y;olJ Of On bneha1, of cow,
per acre may ordinarily be increased
by crimson clover to As, but on richer
land an increase of more than 10 bu-
shells is uncommon. A convenient me-
thod of calculation is to consider full
crop Of crimson clover, weighing with
roots and tops, about 10 tons an acre,
as the equivalent of distribution of
8 tons of fresh barnyard manure to an
acre. In this way the soil is greatly
enriched each year without interfering
in any way with the regular money
crops, such as corn, cotton, or toma-
toes.
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 Ell
Their 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 free
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 become
dry and stiff. In this stage there is
danger that they may form hard, oily
hair balls in the intestinal tracts of
horses and mules TO which the hay is
fed. These hair balls, solid, compact,
felt-Ilke structures, nearly always
cause death. Early cutting, however,
and judlcious mixing with other hay,
will obviate this difficulty to a great
extent, and, under anv circumstances,
cattle are rarely affected. By dairy
men, crimson clover hay is considered
roughage feed fully equal if not
superior to either red or aIsike 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 ample
to enable the ordinary grass pastures
to attain a growth which will greatly
increase their carrying capacity later
in the season. After the cattle are
removed, the uneaten plants and the
manure left behind are ploughed I'M
der, the manure of course, forming a
valuable addition to the fertiIiZing eff
feet of the clover.
AS pasture, hay or fertilizer, there
fore, crimson clover offers itself to
farmers at the time when the ordinary
summer-groWn crops are not avail
able. Incidentally, it should be said,
this clover is valuable for poultry. A
tubful of handicapped leaves thrown
into the poultry yard will provide the
chickens with the best possible green
food at season when eggs are ordi-
narily high and everything that pro-
notes laying is most welcome. Small
patches of crimson clover are in fact,
grown by poultry raisers for this pur-
pose alone.
Methods of growing the crop, the