Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1915-02-04
Sweet Clover for
Pasture and Soil

The Kansas Farmer OF recent date.
published at Topeka, contains an ar
t1cle regarding the value of sweet
clover as a pasture. 1t declares that
sweet clover has a place on the farms
OF Kansas and that it is no longer a
matter of doubt concerning the good
qualities of this weed"
The agricultural editor of the Sat
urday News has had some experience
and much observation with reference
10 sweet clover. That 1t is valuable
as a fertilizer is beyond all question.
II VIII loosen up compact soils as no
other plant will. Since it is a per-
ennlal, the plant is not hard to eradi-
cate when no longer desired in the
SOIL. All h a is necessary Is to pre-
vent any portion of it going to seed
and the whole crop is completely ex-
terminated in two years.
Sown On soil this spring, for in
stance, the plant will die in two years
and within the single season after
ward the roots will entirely decay
soil, thus adding humus and nitrogen.
soil, thus adding humus nd nitrogen.
The Kansas Farmer, speaking of
sweet clover as a hay and pasture
crop Concerning which the Saturday
News has had no experience, and,
therefore, assumes no responsibility
for the statments herein r%eproduced),
says in part:
Cattle, sheep, horses and hogs pas
tured on sweet clover makes satisfac-
tory gains. Stock that Is pastured
on sweet clover very seldom
bloat. AS a pasture for the areas of
light rainfall 1t has one weakness
possessed by all other pasture plants
introduced into this section, in that
1t does not make a vigorous nid-sea-
son growth. 1t produces early and
late pasturage and hence has it's
greatest value as a supplement TO
other pasture. In areas of heavier
rainfall, in the eastern half Of Kan
sas, 1t grows all summer.
Stock readily acquire a liking for
1t and animals turned onto sweet
clover in the early spring when there
is 40 other pasture, will eat it read
lily. and n introduction to the plant
is all that is required. 1t should be
pastured sufficiently to keep down
the growth, since the fresh shoots
are more readily eaten. 1t may be
necessary to clip the pasture with a
mower at a height Of four or FIVE
inches above the ground in order to
induce new growth. Forty-two years
ago Col. J. F. True, Shawnee county,
bought twenty pounds of alfalfa seed
at one dollar a pound. The seed
proved to be that of white clover.
From that day to this he has been
growing sweet clover. He now has
$50 acres of pasture on his 1,000-acre
Jefferson county form, and of which
thinks it especially desirable when
growing a pasture Of natural grasses.
William Kuhnoff, LeavenWorth coun-
ty. has pastured mich COWS on sweet
clover for several years. e. G. Fin
nup, Finney county, is a large grower
and annually pastures a thousand
head of steers on sweet clover. In
1903 he sold $4,000 worth of seed
from 10 acres. He sold 500 tons of
hay the winter Of 1913 at So a ton.
AT the Iowa Agricultural Expert.
ment Station eighteen pigs on sweet
clover pasture gave a daily gain per
head of one and two-hundredths
pounds and a gain for the entire lot
per acre of 1854 pounds. The grain
required for a hundred pounds Of
gain in addition to pasture was 1888
pounds. Fifteen pigs on red clover
pasture made a daily gain Of n and
thirteen-hundredths pounds per head
and a total Of 1884 pounds of gain
for the entire lot per acre, and re-
CURED 332 pouRds Of grain per humid
red pounds Of gain in addition to the
pasture"
The Farmers concludes as follows:
Sweet clover deserves consideration
as a soil improver. 1t is because Of
Its value as a soil renovator that
farmers in the eastern states are
growing it SO enthusiastically. Be-
cause it does well on soils Of low
fertility and lacking in humus, makes
II especially adapted to the needs OIL
those sections In which the land has
been farmed or In which the land are
rolling as to be robbed OF their topl
soil by washing. Sweet clover stores
nitrogen in the soil. as do alfalfa,
COW peas, soy beans, etc. It roots
deeply and for this reason is q most
excellent subsoiler. When plowedl
under 1t is efficient green manuringI
crop for the building up of the hum
us in the soil as other crops used forl
that purpose. On heavy clay andI
hardpan soils it will accomplish won
,ders.n