The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-26
WITH THE FARMERS
By Prof. w. F. MASSEY

4 ~ . = {
each of the leading legumes Will moo
ulate the land for? Japan clover for
instance What legumes Will it inoc-
uiate for?s There are few legumes
that carry with tho seed the bacteria
that inoculate tho soil for other forms.
Burr clover. Medicago denticuiata,
sown In the burr. Will carry the tnoc-
ulation 1t needs. and will also inocuiate
the soil for alfalfa, Medicago saliva
Soil where the Japan clover grows will
be found inoculated for plants OF tho
same family the Lespedezas. but none
OF these arc of any special value to
the farmer except the Japan clover
ltseil. you must remember that while
this and some other plants are called
clover, they are not true cloyers Clio 4
Vers all belong to the genus TrifoI-
ium. while Japan clover belongs to the
Lespedeza genus Then the weed
known as sweet clover is Melilolus
alba. and though 1t does not belong
to tho same genus as alfalfa, tho SOFT
where IT grows has been found to In
oculate land for alfalfa.
Then wo have q little true clover
with q gray head. soft and furry,
which Ia common on most sandy soils
coming up in the fall like crimson olo-
YER and dying the next summer, called
habbitfoot clover. Where this grows
plentifully the soil will be found
abundantly inoculated for crimson clio
yer. In fact II Is more than likely
that NIL tho true clovers, tho Trifolium
genus. have the Same identical bnc.
tcrium. But. as have said more than
once tho important thing is to have
the soil sweet, SO that tho bacteria
will thrive. for no amount of moo
uiation Will avail In an acid soil md
here Is where tho usefulness of lining
comos In. In fact, there are few To-
gumes that Will not set up the moo
ulation on good sweet soil II the
crop falls partly ono season. It Is of
ten found that II will succeed on tho
Same soil tho next season. Years ago
II was the general opinion that GRIM
son o!ovor would not thrive down rear
the Gulf Coast. but a correspondent of
mino In Louisiana wrote that he sowed
some and It made very poor growth.
Ho sowed the Same land the next fall
and had & remarkably fine growth and
plenty OF nodules on the roots. show
Ing that his frst sowing had at least
brought In the bacteria
The Rest Seed for Bright Tobacco.
What varieties OF tobacco are hest
for making bright tobacco for Hue
curingT have before mentioned
that have used Orinoco and Hyco,
and II any of our readers know better
varieties. I Will be glad to hear from
them, have never grown any others
except with these. / am inclined to
prefer the Orinoco.
Glover for Cotton.
You advise crimson clover for cot
ton as well rs for corn. but II is nee
essary TO prepare tho cotton land
earlier. and the clover will not be we'll
grown as it Will be for corn This
seems to me to be Il great difficulty
1t is true that the clover for cotton
Will have to be turned in an immature
state, but it has all winter been pro-
lection and saving to the soil, and has
acquired much nitrogen. and though
you may have to turn IT when half
grown, 1t will pay all tho same 10 use
IL for cotton 1t will have done
enough to warrant the expenditure for
seed and sowing. would not bc
any more than for corn. There is no
cheaper way TO get nitrogen and hu-
mus and the green clover on the land
during the winter Will have taken ulb
the nitrates that would otherwise have
been leached from the soil. and will he
ready to give them up to the cotton
crop. had far rather have half
grown crop OF crimson clover than
none.
Keeping Seed Corn.
will corn that has been selected
for seed keep just as we'll In tho open
crib with the othcr corn. as else
where?" II the corn was thoroughly
dry when put In tho crib. IL may faro
very we'll there. but II the corn was
late and not very dry. II had better
DO kept where 1t cannot freeze In
fact. 1T Is far snfer to keep seed corn
In dry and warm place and not I'm n
heap where IT may get injured by
heating, for heating will do as much
! harm as freezing. Spread out on
shelves I'm close room, or hung up In
sacks In such room, where there
will be no hard freezing will be bet
ter for seed corn.