Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1914-05-01
CRIMSON CLOVER IS
A USEFUL CROP.
New Bulletin of the Department Of
Agriculture Describes its Value
MS Early pasturapc Et,

90 MY dSAutdHCs tJlt.
Washington, ID. c., April 3O.-A
number ofways in which the early
appearance of Crimson cover in the
spring can be turned to the farmers
| advantage are pointed out in new
publication of the United States de-
partment of Agriculture, in Farmers
Bulletin $40, crimson Clover Util-
ization." In the Southern and Cen
trail Atlantic States this crop is of
particular value. Generally speaking
it suffers from the severe winters in
the north and ofrm too great dry
ness west of the Mississippi. In Flor
ida also it has proved less success
full than elsewhere.
Crimson clover, says the bulletin,
has two great advantages. 1t is AN
excellent fertilizer and il can be used
for pasture and hay before any ather
green growth is available, the land
being then sown with an ordinary
summer-grown crop. The clover it
self can be sown toward the end of
the summer on land where such late
crops as corn or tomatoes are still
under cultivation. It's use, therefore,
does not Interfere with other crops
and its benefits cost little but the Ia
Dor and seed involved.
To botain the full value of Grim
son clover as fertilizer, the entire
green crop should be piowed under,
thus adding to the soil large guam
tity of nitrogen and humus, or de-
cayed vegetable matter. The poorer
the land the greater is the benefit
that the succeeding crop derives
| from this process. A yield of 80
bushels of corn to the acre may or
dinarily be increased by crimson Glow
| ar 10 AZ hnt ,.i,hnt. LAND -,
crease of more than ten bushels is
uncommon. A convenient method of
calculation is to consider full crop
of crimson clover, weighing with the
roots and tops, about ten tons to an
acre. In this way the soil is greatly
enriched each year without interfer-
ing in any way with the regular
money crops, such as corn, cotton, or
tomatoes.
1t is, however, by no means ne
cessary to sacrifice the entire crop
of crimson clover to fertiliZing pur-
poses. Excellent results can be OBJ
tanned by blowing under the mere
roots and stubble. This, it is esti-
mated returns to the soil 40 per ct.
as huch nitrogen as the green crop.
When this is done the clover itself
can be used either for pasture, be-
1oie oIuiiidIy grass is SuliiceleHCly
far advanced to be available, or for
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 arebegiinning to show faded
flowers at their base. At this stage
the plants cotain 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 flowers heads be-
come dry and stiff. In this stage
there is danger that they may form
hard hair balls in the intestinal tract
of horses and mules to which the
hay is fed. These hair balls, solid
compact, felt-iike structures, nearly
anyways caus death. Early cutting,
other hay will obviate this difficulty
cumstances, cattle are rarely affect
, ed. By dairymen, crimson clover
hay is considered a roughage feed
fully equal if not superior to either
red or alsike clover.
For early pasturing crimson GLOW.
err is even more satisfactory, it's chief
drawback being the limited period ir
: whichwhich it can be utilized for this
purpose. This period, however, is
ample to enable the ordinary grass
pastures TO attain growth which
will greatly increase their carrying
capacity later in the season. After
the cattle are removed, the uneater
: plants and the manure left behint
: are ploughed under, the manure Of
course, forming n valuable addition
4 to the fertiIizing effect of the clover
Y AS pasture, hay or fertilizer, there
s fore crimson clover offers itself tx
s farmers at the time when the or
: binary summer grown crops are no
: available. Incidentally, it should b,
e said, this clover is valuable for poul
try.A tub-full of hand cropped leave
: thrown into the poultry yard vii
e. provide the chickens with the hes
: possible green food season whel
eggs are ordinarily high and every