The Brinkley argus., 1914-10-09
COUNTY AGRICULTURAL
 DEPARTMENT
By Wm. J. Johnston County Correspondent U. s. Agricultural
 Department
CRIMSON CLOVER A SUCCESS

Crimson clover is a demon strated success on practically every soil type in the South where the drainage is good. Its ability to succeed on nearly every kind of land in the cotton belt, from waxy clays to light sandy loans. makes it one of the best winter. cover crops and soil builders for cultivated fields in this region.
 Crimson clover is just as valu- able as a soil-improving crop of cowpeas, and the cotton fields of the South should be covered during the winter with this valuable clover to furnish abundant winter grazing for all classes of live stock, to prevent soil erosion, and to enrich the land with nitrogen.
 Crimson clover does best on a well prepared, well drained, well-settled, and a fairly fertile seed bed. The middles of a clean cultivated cotton field make an almost ideal seed bed for sowing crimson clover. The time of seeding is determined by the latitude. When sown too early the young plants are liable to be killed by hot. dry weather. In the northern third of the cotton belt probably the best results are obtained by sowing between Sept. l and Oct. 10; in the central third of the cotton belt from Sept. 10 to Oct. 20, and in the southern third of the cotton belt from Sept. 20 to Nov. n. Successful growers of crim- son clover, appreciating that the hot sun and the dry condition of t h soil affect germination. usually endeavor to SOW just after a rain or when there is prospect of rain.
 Seed may be sown by hand or with an inexpensive clover seed CT. Never less than 15 and pre- ferably 20 pounds of seed per acre should be sown if good stands are to be obtained. Just after the first picking is an ex- cellent time to seed crimson clover in cotton fields. The seed should be sown broadcast and lightly narrowed in with spike to spring-tooth harrow. Poor stands frequently result from covering too deep.
 Nitrogen in the form of nitrate of soda and cotton seed meal costs from 15 to 20 cents per pound, and is by far the most expensive fertilizing element that the southern farmer has to buy. Thirty-fve thousand tons of atmospheric nitrogene lie above every acre of land in the South. Crimson clover has the power to collect and store this nitrogen in the plant at the rate of from 75 to 125 pounds per acre. Probably half of this is taken direct from the air. In other words, an acre of gooC crimson clover. where the entire crop is turned under. has the fertilizing value of from 450 te 750 bounds of nitrate of soda ol from 1,080 to 1,800 pounds o1 cottonseed meal. In feeding
 value crimson clover hay com
 pares very favorably with alfalfs and cowpea hay, and is relishet by all kinds of live stock.
 The chief difficulties in saving
 crimson clover hay lie in tn,
 usually cool, moist weather con tditions prevailing about the tim' l the hay is ready to now and tn,
 press of other farm work a this period. For these reasons unless hay is very scarce, it il often advisable to turn undel the entire crop to enrich tn. soil.
 Crimson clover furnishes ex |cellent grazing for all classes o1 live stock during the late winter and early spring. For this pur' pose it is much superior to rye, |oats, or any other nonlegumi-