The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-08-06
CRIMSON AND BURR
CLOVERS, WINTER VETCH

become profitable until our lands are
made rich. Soil building should be
the aid of every farmer. Soil build
ing is no easy job, neither can it be-
done in a year or two. It takes time
to build up land, but it is possible
to do it. With the boil weevil threat
ening US and the shortage of labor
now facing us, we will be forced
to change our present method of
farming. There is but one solution
to the problem-that of diversified
ton and the use of improved farm
machinery and the building up of
our lands so that we can double our
present yields. Yields Of Is bushels
of corn and one third of a bale of
cotton to the acre does not pay, yet
these are the average yields for the
Cotton Belt. By following\a syste-
matte rotation of crops, so that al
legume, (cow peas, velvet bean or
%clover) a be turned under every
two or three years, our lands would
be making 80 or 40 bushels of corn
and nearly a bale of cotton to the
acre. A good growth of clover
turned under would add $500
worth of plant food to the soil in
addition to the amount of humus
added, thereby making the land hold
more water and more responsive to
commercial fertilizers. Yet the far
mer would have to invest $500 in
seed and a little extra labor for the
sowing of the seed and turning the
clover under for each acre planted.
Soils suited to Clover and Vetch.
Practically all well drained soils
of the Cotton Belt will grow clover
and vetch successfully. Of course,
the best suited soil is a light soil,
such as a sandy or loan soil, but
they will do we'll on other types of
soil as well. Of the three legumes,
vetch is, perhaps, best suited to the
different soil types and more easily
grown.
Time to Plant.-Generally speak
ing, these legumes should be sown
from the middle of September to
the middle of October. Burr Clover
can be sown as early as July. ,VetchI
is more hardy and can be sown later
than October 18th, but they all
should not be sown later than Octo-
Der 18th if you expect them to do
well and not get winter killed.
Amount of Seed. to Sow per Acre.
Sow 25 lbs. of Crimson Clover,
rs to 80 lbs of :V,etch, and from
six to eight bushels Of burr clover
to the It is better to sow too
much seed than not enough, since
it is usually hard to get a good stand
owing to the size of the seed and.
the depth they are covered.
Preparation of the Land. Glover
and vetch should not be sown on
a loose or a very hard seed bed.
The seed bed should be firm and
compact. If these legumes follow
corn and pea stubble, a light disk
ing is all that is necessary; in cot
ton middles no preparation is neces-
sary. Some do not even disk corn
land, but it is better to disk it after
having cut, shocked and removed
the corn. A light disking where it,
can be given, and allowing the soil
to become firm and compact before
seeding is better than no prepara-
ton. = ~i.. e. :"iM
incubation of Seed.-All winter
legumes should be inoculated as sue
cess or failure depends very largely
on whether or not the soil is inocu-
lated. Wet seeds in a mixture Of
equal parts of molasses and water
and adding all the inoculated soil
the seed will hold, or haul out and
spread of the field about 1000 lbs.
of inoculated soil from either vetch,
or burr and crimson clover fields.
incubation can also be obtained
from the u. S. Department of Agri-
culture free of charge. By inocu-
lation we mean putting the right