The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1919-02-15
EXPERIENCE WITH SWEET
CLOVER.

Introduction of sweet clover more OK
(tHnsively in this country has request
va The Tlmes-H Herald to publish the
Iclowing which is taken from the
A,Vestern Farmer II has been DEM
onstrated that this crop Is very prot
table in this section and gives added
value to the soil for use in seeding
alfalfa or other such crop. The arti-
Gle follows:
To the Western Farmer;
am requested by parties that
have written to me to give some in-
formation how to grow sweet clover.
how to plant It and when to plant 1t.
AS | have grown this clover many
years, and will not plant one acre OF
grain without this clover planted
with It. and have done so for years.
| have in the past flattered myself
that knew all about this clover.
but do not now and mover expect to.
have been told to go according to
nature. have watched It go to seed
and scatter on the ground and 1t
seems that every seed starts growing
In the spring without being scratched
In. have taken the unhulled seed
and sowed 1t late in the fall, but
sometimes get very poor stand
that way. The unhulled seed. II
sown with a crop of sprin grain, In
variably refuses to grow that year.
but always shows up the following
spring IL not plowed under. l have
found the old-time method II sowing
1t in February on fall rye or fall
wheat, either hulled or unhulled seed
will come every time. but 1t must not
be narrowed in when spring opens,
as so many want to do and so many
more have done. and In so doing have
spilled their huckle5erries.
Many are fooled by seeing sweet
clover grow on unprepared ground.
where they know it was not sown by
anyone, but when they SOW II that
way themselves 1t Is often failure.
However, planted with a crop of
spring grain on fall plowed ground
before the spring frosts are all over,
is. nine times out Of ten. a success.
Broadcast it after the grain is drill
ed in, then give 1t light narrowing
and let 1t go at that. 1t does not
pay to plant 1t by itself on account OF
the weeds that would have to be cut
before they go to seed. II pays better
ter to cut a crop of grain than crop
of weeds After the grain Is cut 1t
will make fall pasture that will fat
ten most any kind of stock. 1t has
to be planted late and when the
weather is somewhat dry. Use a
drill with a seeder attachment and
let the seed run down through the
drill hose, but run the drill cross
wise over the already plantd grain.
1t can be planted on land that does
bake two or three inches deep. On
gravelly land plant three inches
deep every time IL you can. but ear
ly planting is always surest, Like
alfalfa, it likes a compact subsoil,
therefore, to get the best results, II
should be planted on fall-plowed
ground. Sweet clover requires a
well-prepared seeded, but this is not
as NECESSARY as in planting alfalfa.
II planted early In the spring 1t is
easier to get stand than with any
other legume l know OF.
The spots Of bad land that are so
numerous in many places in the
Northwest are of an alkali origin. BY
giving them a deep fall-plowing and
planting sweet clover very early
those spots will change their stub
born nature. The soil In these spots
is destitute OF nitrogen and humus.
This clover draws millions of invisi-
bic workers that collect nitrogen
from the air, and the large decaying
roots furnish humus.
A great many people believe that
when clover is once planted on a
place 1t is hard to get rid Of. but
that is not true. The seed is hard
to get and is expensive. and great
many plant 1t too late on Spring
Diowed ground, and lose their seed.
One good point with sweet clover
Is this: If 1t doesn't sprout the
first season. 1t will sprout the next !;
but this fact is not known, and it is
usually plowed under.
We have this clover all over our
place, even in the strawberry patch.
a thin stand in the grain or in the
potato field is no hindrence to any
growing crop. You will find the
best strawberries near a stock of this
clover. We always fan our grain be-
fore we sell It, in order to get the
clover seed out OF It. In that way
sometimes we get more seed than we
need for our planting, Any kind OF