The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-04-28
SEVERAL ways
FOR CLOVER
TO Be USEFUL
To the Farmer in Springtime
Pointed Out in a Govern
ment Bulletin.

A number of ways in which the early
appearance of crimson clover In the
spring can be turned to the farmers
advanta are pointed out in a new
publication of the United States De-
partment of Agriculture, Farmers
RulIetin 597, Crimson Glover Utili-
zatfon." In the southern and centrGI
Atlantic states this crop is Of parttc-
uIar value. Generally speaking 1t
suffers from severe winters in the
North and from too great dryness
west OF the Mississippi river. In
Florida also 1t proves less sucessIu4
than elsewhere.
Crimson clover, says Ehe bulletin,
has two great advantages. 1t is an
excellence fertilizer and 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 II
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, there
fore, does not interfere with other
products and its benefits cost little
cut the labor and seed involved.
Be Plowed Under.
To obtain a full value of crimson
clover as a fertilizer, the .entlre
green crop should be plowed under
To LIE SUI q lGS49O
tfty of nitrogen and humus, or de-
cayed vegetable matter. The poorer
the land the greater is the benent
that the succeeding crop derives from
this process A yield of thirty
bushels of corn per acre may ordi-
narily be increased by crimson clover
to forty-fve, but on richer land an
increase Of more than ten bushels IS
uncommon. Al convenient method OF
;z IN slider IulL
crop of crimson clover, weighing
with roots and tops, about ten tons
an acre, as the equivalent OF DIS
tribution Of eight tons OF fresh barn
ward manure to an acre. In TINS
way the soil is greatly enriched each
year without interfering in any way
with the regular 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 fertf1izing purpos-
es Excellent results can be obtained
by ploughing under merely the roots
ana stulbJble. This it is estimated re
turns to the soil 40 per cent as much
nitrogen as the green crop. When
this is done the clover 1tsel1 can De
used either for pasture, before ordl-
nary 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 -eginning to show laoeo
flowers at the base At this stage
the plants contain the maximu m
amount of protein and dry matter,
while the leaves are "t'll present and
the stems comparatively green. II
the harvest Is put on, the short hairs
ION the stems and flower heads be
come dry and stir. In this stage
there is danger that they may form
hard, dry hair balls in the intestinal
tracts of horses and mules to which
the hay is fed. These hair balls,
solid, compact felt-like structures
nearly always cause death. Early
cutting. however, and in dtcious mix
ing with other hay will obviate TINS
Idifffculty to a great extent, and, un-
der any circumstances, cattle are
rarely affected. BY dairymen crimson
clover hay Is considered rougnase
feed fully equal II not superior co
| either red or aIsike clover.
EARLY Pasturing.
For early pasturing crimson clo-
yer is even more satisfactory, SIS
chief draw back being the limited
period in which it can be utilized for
this purpose. This period, however
lis ample to enable the ordinary
Grass pastures to attain a growth
which will greatly increase their car
rying capacity LATER in the season
After the cattle are removed, the IN
eaten plants and the manure left be-
hind are ploughed under, the ma
Inure of course, forming a valuable
addition to the fertilizing effect OF
the clover.
therefore, crimson clover oners IL
self to farmers at time when the
ordinary summer-grown crops are
NOT available incidentally, 1t shoul q
ba said, this clover is valuable Tor
nouItry. A tIrbful OF hand-croppeo
leaves thrown into the poultry yard
wiz provide the chickens with the
best pose 1ble green food at a season
when eggs are ordinarily high and
everything that promotes laying Is
most welcome. Small patches OF
crimson clover are, in fact. grown by
i poultry raisers for this purpose
alone.
Methods of growing the crop, the
preparation of the seed bed, and the
soils and sections best adapted 10
the purpose are discussed In pre-
ytous publication OF the Department
OF Agriculture, Farmers Bulletin
$50, 'fCrimson Glover: Utilization
will be sent free on request.
The towers of the Panama cathe-
dral are rooted with pearl shells
III = hat f4.-rNr