The Hartford republican., 1916-03-03
FARM DEPARTMENT
How To Grow Sweet Clover.

tAPtito h''S
that West Kentucky lands need
sweet clover to help in building up
the soil. However, there are some
problems in growing this crop and
we feel that the following directions,
by Mr.. M. o. Hughes, district agent
of the department of agriculture, will
be of interest to our readers. County
Demonstration is recommending the
growing of sweet clover in Ohio
county.
During the last two years a numb
er of farmers growing small plots OF
sweet clover have demonstrated that,
under certain conditions, this crop
can be grown in most places in wes-
tern Kentucky. All of these farmers
are enthusiastic in their praise Of it.
Sweet clover does not grow sue
cessfully without lime, therefore ap-
ply one and one-half to three tons of
ground limestone per acre. Inoc-
ulate either with a government cul-
ture. which your County Agent can
secure for you free of charge, or with
soil from alfalfa lor sweet clover
field. Sow in January, February,
March or April, on firm rather than
a loose or soft seed bed. Sowing in
January or February should be on
frozen ground, so that freezing and
thawing will work the seed into the
soil. Seed sown in March or April
should be covered with light har-
rowing. If covered too deeply, 1t will
not terminate we'll. The hulled
seed, 10 to IL pounds per acre, is
preferable to the unhulled. There
is a method now of scarifying the
seed which makes it germinate a
great deal better, and, If possible,
such seed should be used.
Sweet clover is more valuable than
other clovers for the Improvement
of the very poorest soils, and it will
grow where other vegetation will
not. 1t is valuable as a grazing crop
and makes almost as good hay as
alfalfa. It is a biennial, living only
two years, but if not grazed too
closely will reseed itself indefinitely.
II sown in the spring, the first
seasons growth will be from IL to
Is inches, without seeding. The
next spring it will grow from six to
ten feet high, making large crop
of seed.
BY all means try small patch of
sweet clover, and call on your County
Agent to help you.
Urges Diversified Farming.
Lexington, Ky.,-Prof. w. d.
Nichols, of the State University
Agricultural Station, who visited the
dark tobacco district of the State as
a special representative of the Exper-
iment Station, in his report to the
station says a critical situation has
been caused in that section by the
lack of market for tobacco, and sug-
gests that the farmers of Wesern
Kentucky turn to diversified farming
and produce only light crops.
The report states that there is no
single crop which can replace to-
bacco in that section, but that a
complete change to growing green
crops, COW peas, soy beans, corn,
garden truck for use in the home and
farm seeds and raising hogs, cows
and poultry in a greater quantity will
be the best way to meet the emer-
gency.
Prof. Nichols worked in co-opera-
ton with Prof. l.. r. Neel, of the
Tennessee Experiment Station, and
the two representatives spent two
days studying the situation. They
undertook to look over the condition
and advise concerning the modifica-
ton of the existing emergency at the
request of the Association of Dark
Tobacco Planters.
"A peculiar and distressing situa-
tion is faced by the farmers Of the
dark tobacco section" the report
reads. Ozark tobacco is the princi-
pal source of income in the region
and has been grown by many farm
ers to the neglect of other crops.
The greater part of the tobacco pro-
duced in this district is bought by
foreign buyers and goes to European
countries. The average price paid
under normal conditions for dark
tobacco is about cents pound.
There has been practically no mark
ct for tobacco crops since the OPEN
fng of the European war. Less than
40 per cent, of the 1915 crop has
been sold and that was disposed of
at Az cents pound. Ocean freight
rates, which were formerly SO a
hogshead are now SIS, and the in
surance has arisen from $3.50 to
5000