Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-04-30
The Glover Crop on Maine Farms.

The Glover Crop on Maine Farms.
professor George 4. simmons.)
Each section Of our country has at
least one hay and forage crop that be-
longs to the legume family. These are
noted for their good effects on the soil
and also for their value for feed for the
growing Of young stock, colts, pigs,
calves and even chickens.
The value of the clovers is due to their
large protein content and to their ability
to grow root nodules which contain
nitrifying bacteria that secures free
nitrogen from the air.
Protein In the clovers Ii useful az q
muscle and tissue builder for young
animals.
Names great legume crop is the
clover crop. 1t may be used for pasture,
green feed, silage and hay. Glover hay
In particularly fitted to aid In the main
tenance Of the dairy herds which are 80
needed to supply food in this time Of cry
ing need for milk, butter and other food
products.
Much depends upon the kind of hay
that 10 produced and also the quality of
hay that is fed to our dairy cattle as to
the success that will attend 1t. Any hay
that the cow will eat will do for filing
but for nutrition to maintain the body
and to produce milk it is necessary that
the kind of hay be the right one and
that the quality Of the hay should be
good. In other words, that the nu-
tritive value of the feed be high.
Timothy hay, even though 1t be Of high
market value, will not produce the re-
turns in milk or growth that feed high
in protein would produce. The protein
hay in Maine is primarily the clover
hays, medium red and alsike. To this
might be added alfalfa. Alfalfa has not
up to the present been produced to
large extent In this state although it is q
prime feed wherever its yield will give
larger return than the possible yield In
the red or alsike clovers. The success
with the clover hays will depend upon
the preparation given to the land, the
quality of seed, the fertility Of the land,
the condition Of the land, with regard to
the acidity, the system of rotat ion and
the proper method of cutting, curing
and storing of the crop.
Land to produce clover hay should be
free from all kinds of weed
including witch-grass. This may be
more effectually done by following Q
system of rotation in which one of the
crops would be q cultivated crop that
would thoroughly fit the first seven
inches in depth and make 1t free from
weed enemies. The following rotation
might be suggested: Potatoes one year
by oats or oats and peas and
seeded down to clover. A four rotation
might be potatoes the first year, corn
the second year, grain the the third
year seeded down to clover, for the
fourth year. Or the potatoes might be
dropped out of the four rotation leaving
IL three year rotation.
II the land has been manured for
previous crop 1t would not be necessary
to apply any more manure for the hay
crop for the first year. The fertilizer
that is applied with the grain crop
would suffice to give the clover plants
good start. In selecting seed It Is
very important that 1t should be free
from ali weed seed and be of high per.
centsge Of termination power. The
test of the termination power can be
readily made by taking two pieces of
blotting paper, and putting one hundred
seed between them, placing them In an
dinner plate, moistening the
blotting paper thoroughly, placing the
plate in warm place and covering 1t
over with another plate to check
evaporation. After few days the top
paper may be raised and the
number of seed that have germinated
This number in comparison
with the hundred seed placed in the test
would give the percentage of germina-
ton. A little calculation will indicate
the value of this test. Should one Sc.
cure clover seed for 30 "a per pound and
only eighty seed out of hundred should
grow, the real cost for the quantity that
would grow would be $3.50 per pound.
Two samples could be tested at one
time before buying In this way finding
from which quantity to buy. One hun
dred seed Is Q very small part OF q
teas spoonful of seed and could be secured
from the dealer without any trouble.
In exceptional seasons one might have
q failure Of q satisfactory stand Of clover,
hence 1t 10 the practice to SOW some
other seeds with it, particularly II 1t be
left In hay for two years. 1t has been
found very satisfactory to use the fol-
lowing mixture for an acre OF land;
medium red clover, seven pounds; Al
sike clover, five pounds; timothy, eleven
pounds, and in the case of rather damp
soil, three pounds Of red top.
Precaution might be taken in the case
of rather moist land to increase the Al.
sike BY two pounds and decrease the
medium red by three pounds per acre.
In case the land 10 quite dry We would
suggest an increase to nine pounds for
the medium red and q decrease to four
pounds Of the Alsike a. Alsfke is more
resistant to acid condition Of soil which
is apt to be the condition in case the
land Ia wet. The acid condition OF soil
would be indicated BY the failure OF
clover to grow we'll, by tufts of undesir-
able grasses and weeds such as sorrel,
daisies, FIVE finger and moses.
In event that the above indications
are present, the remedy would be the
removal of the surplus water from the
soil by some method of drainage, by
thorough tillage and by the application
of lime, tho quantity OF lime varying
with the degree of acidity and tho kind
of lime used. This method should Sc
cure for the first crop . good palatable
nutritious hay for COW feed. In case
timothy was seeded with 1t the second
years growth should make IN excellent
hay for the horses.
( This will be dependent to some ex-
tent upon harvesting conditions. II
clover hay Ia allowed to stand until 1t is
quite ripe, the leaves Will fall of when
it is being handled at harvest time. In
this way losing quito quantity of the
hay and very large proportion OF the
most nutritiouo part of the plant. The