Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-29
Iowa Farm News and Notes

when there is q great deal Of reason
to question whether the cnsilase that
will be put away next year will be OF
~ high feeding value 90 usual, It 10
especially important to look out for the
clover fields. Seed corn 10 known to ~
scarce and poor. and In tho northern
tier Of states especially It 10 almost GER.
tain that many farmers will have to
plant southern seed corn for ensilage.
While this may fill the silo. It will not
be as high in feeding value as more
mature corn. This fact will make It
important to have more clover hay
with the ensilaSe.
Last summer tho effort to plant
large acreage Of food crops resulted in
the blowing up Of 4 considerable
acreage Of meadow. This was reflect
ed in a reduced acreage OF clover seed
cut during the past summer. Besides
this, there was certainly q smaller
acreage seeded to clover in 1917 than
u usually the case. The seed trade
found less demand than had been ex.
pectsd, and 80 an unusually large guam
tity Of seed was carried over. in spite
Of the fact that the quantity Of clover
seed imported in the year beginning
July l, 1915, was not equal to that i'm
ported during the year ending June 30,
1915. Unfortunately, figures showing
the acres seeded to clover seed are not
collected each year, 50 we do not know
to what extent the clover acreage Is
smaller now than usual. but much in
direct evidence, as mentioned above.
points Enthusiastically to the fact that
the clover acreage Is falling. This can
not help but have a bad effect on pro-
duction in the clover states.
Farmers recognize that clover cul-
ture lies at the foundation Of soil fer
tility in the north. Good land may be
farmed for q while without 1t, but it's
fertility will decrease: poor land must
have a legume. and, clover Is the most
convenient and satisfactory one yet
found for that section. We can not
afford therefore. to neglect clover, even
II the price Of seed Is high.
Shortage Of Seed.
That clover seed ia high. and will
continue to be SO, must be recognized.
However, the price has not advanced
in as great a ratio as has the price Of
wheat and corn and the advance in
price Is not much, II any greater than
what has been recorded for most farm
products. A large part Of this higher
price. too, Is going to the producer One
reason for the slow movement Of clover
seed to central markets 50 far this
year Is the unwIllingness OF farmers
to sell. Prices are high. and they ex-
pect them to go higher, hence they
hold. For the farmer who must buy,
this Is. however not so desirable q
state Of affairs. However, 1t is not the
price that concerns US most, but tho
question l9hether enough clover seed
exists to plant large area.
In the summer Of 1917 clover hay was
cut on approximately 100000 acres.
Since a large part OF the clover seed
cd either fails and must be reseeded,
or Is used in some form so that pure
clover hay is not cut, We may be sure
that this Is only about three fourths OF
the acreage seeded in 1915. II this is
true, or nearly so. some 10000. 900 acres
were seeded, and for this some no.
100000 to 12o.00o,ooo pounds Of seed
were needed. In the clover states, in
but not including any acreage west Of
the one hundredth meridian, there we're
on Dec. !, 1917. some 18.500,0OO acres
in winter wheat. In the interests Of the
hay supply and OF continued soil fer
tility. most OF this acreage. or an equi-
valent acreage with oats. should be
seeded to clover. next spring. II we
consider that much seed will be sown
in mixtures and in western states, not
included in these figures, we can not
be far wrong il we. consider that rs !
per cent Of the present winter wheat
should go into clover next
spring. This is 13,s75,000 acres and.
seeding at II pounds per acre, the to-
tai seed needed will be 152,625,000
pounds. The best available estimates
fix the quantity of clover seed, II It is
all used that may be available for seed
In 1913, at between 10000, 900 and l00,-
100000 pounds. 1t Is clear that ire
spective OF price and il no seed Is ex-
ported there will not be enough seed
to plant tho acreage that should be
be planted next spring II seed is used
at the average rate per acre.
In this situation the following sug-
gestions are offered. looking toward
making thesexisting supplies 80 as far
as possible.
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