The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-03-17
LOCAL MAN WAKES UP


ed the past year about the value of
sweet clover and people who have
been trying to kill it out are adjust
ing themselves to the fact that 1t is
a valuable forage plant II used right.
This paper has published several
articles on the subject, one quite ex-
haustive and prepared by local man
who gave much information about
how to harvest the seed and get the
money out of 1t. On Tuesday morn
ing Mr.. Alex. Younie came into our
office in much enthusiasm and said
he had something worthy OF publi-
cation; something that the people OF
this county ought to know about;
something which, II published, will
do the farmers more good than all
we have ever published about farm
ing heretofore, and so saying he laid
down q copy of Farm and Home pub
lished nearly year ago and pointed
out an article on sweet clover.
We didn't know whether sweet
clover had acquired new values and
this article was gem, or whether
Mr. Younie wanted to express his
poor opinion of our Agricultural Edi-
ton and all the other chapters on
how to improve farm methods and
farm profits that the people have
been applauding so much. We re-
produce the article herewith 80 the
people may Judge:
Sweet Clover as a Forage Rlant
This plant (melilotus alba, sweet
or bokhara clover) is most valuable
for pasturage. | have 35-acre field
which has been used exclusively for
grazing and has always furnished an
abundance of green feed thru wet
and dry weather. Timothy was sown
with it and makes double the growth
that it would alone.
Blue grass is getting quite thick
in this field and the clover seems to
help out wonderfully. Timothy,
sweet clover and blue grass make a
combination that l have never seen
euualed as pasture upon which to
fatten steers without corn. By August
| they are as fat as if fed 60 days
on corn.
Sweet clover is biennial and every
plant dies, root and branch, the sec
ond year after the seed has fallen.
The next year the seeds grow rapidly
in between the old plants. The pas
ture must be kept eaten down fairly
close, SO as to give the young plants
a chance to live. They will produce
an immense amount of feed in the
fall after the odd plants are dead.
Worth Double Blue Grass Pasture
estimate that my pasture in COM
parison with blue gras Is double or
nearly so in real value. 1t will carry
about double the number OF steers as
blue grass pasture, for the latter
is subject to drouth. 1t has never
bloated steer.
have cut only enough OF the
sweet clover to assure myself that
the hay is first-class feed for cattle.
Hogs seem to be very fond OF the
hay, Last year 10 acres were cut
for seed. 1t was cut little green
and the dressings were fed to the
steers and carried them long way
thru the winter. This year l plan to
take the cattle off the field the mid
die of July and the first week in Oc-
tober will cut a heavy crop OF hay,
which l will feed to mich COWS ana
brood sows.
Pasture it Early in the Season
It would be difficult matter to
cure the first crop after being moved
down for the early growth is both
heavy and juicy. The best way to
handle it for hay or seed is to keep
il pastured down until July. Then
it will mature very quickly after
that. When cut for seed the mower
bar is run high enough to take only
the top which contains the seed. rms
leaves all the bottom grass, which at
this time will be very luxurialt.
Enough must be allowed to go 10
seed to maintain the stand.
Two years ago hogs were turned
onto a patch Of two acres and they
ate it down and ate the roots, altho
the plants were strong and in the
second years growth. I am cover
ing a 2O-acre field with manure and
will sow it this spring with sweet
clover for hog pasture and turn the
sows and little pigs on 1t in June.
Fine Feed for Sows With Pigs
Tramping considerably does not
hurt it. Next year I expect to have
pasture on which can turn the hogs
4 week earlier than any other grass.
When this pasture is once we'll es-
tabIished it will furnish green feed
from early spring until late fall, a
thing of very great Importance TO
the hog grower.
Sweet clover is practically un-
known to all kinds of live stock and
when turned on it they must hrst
acquire a taste for it, but when once
a