Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-06
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
BY DR.. ANDREW nj. SOULE

/ results on newly cleared rough l2nd,
or on raw, hard dry clays or SteriI e
| sand. OF course, the soil should be
fairly deep and friable. 1t Will give
| excellent results when seeded after
| soy beans, cowpeaS or velvet beans.
| These crops seem to put the land IN
good condition for crimson clover. 1t
is an advantage to lime land intended
for this crop. If the legume preVl-
ously grown on the soil is lined TINS
| may not be necessary. We think 1t
| desirable practice to use at least one
| ton of finely ground raw rock either
| on the clover or the preceding crop
| We also believe it is good practice
| to apply 200 pounds of acid ph0s-
| phate and 100 pounds of kainlt. me
use of nitrogen in the fertilizer for
| mula is not regarded as essential. On
| land where this crop has never peen
| grown it will often pay to 1noculate
| the seed. A special culture is man
| ufactured for that purpose by Varl-
| Gus concerns, or a small quantity
| can no doubt be secured Tree from
the United States department OF ag-
| riculture When the clover is soWn
| after a legume of the character IN
dicated above cross dislling the land
will often put it in excellent condl.
| ton for seeding. 1t is desirable, OF
| course, that the seed bed be rather
| firm and we'll settled and fine on top:
Sometimes the breaking of the land
with turning pillow is desirable 1t
| is folly, however, to seed crimson
clover on loose, dry soil, which is
/ full of Jumps and trash. The prep
aration of the seed bed with the
least effort and expenditure, OF
course, is desirable, but it should be
fine friable soil are essentials to the
successful cultivation of this crop
The fertilizer should be put on
either at the time of planting or
few days previous thereto. The lime
may be scattered over the surface
the time it is cross disked or just
before it is plowed, if that is neces-
, sary.
The rate Of seeding varies consid-,
erably. 1t is generally considered
| necessary to use 10 pounds per acre.
Cross seeding is often desirable
practice, as this distributes the seed
more uniformly over the land. on
poor. thin lands IS to % pounds can
often be seeded with advantage. IL
is important to seed rather freely
! when planting in a relatively heavy
crop which shades the, GROUND con
siderably. Thicker seeding is deslra-
BILE where one may wish to use the
clover as a green manure crop in the
spring.
Seeding may be done by hand, or
preferably with machinery. Inc
seed should be distributed very uni
formly and covered to reasonaDle
depth. A heavy, stiff-toothe.d j, WeeGi ger
is an excellent implement with when
to cover the seed. Seeding can OF
course be done with an ordinary
grain drill or with an atlanta or spe-
cial clover drill. There is often
tendency to cover the seed too deep;
Test the seed before planting and
be sure that 80 per cent of them will
terminate in 48 hours. Carefully
cleaned seed is the kind which has
been chiefly used in the past, but
there is an impression in recent
years that unhulled seed is less like
ly to be destroyed by dry weather
than the cleaned seed. I do not think,
the unhulled seed can be purchased
commercially, but one may often be
able to secure some from a nelghbor.
One hundred pounds Of unhulled seed
contain about 60 pounds of cleaned
seed. 1t would be safer, however,
to regard two TO three pounds Of I'M
hulled seed as being equivalent to
one pound of hulled seed.
Crimson clover can be seeded alone
or it may be soWn in combination
with oats, rye or wheat. In the event
this practice is followed not more
than a bushel Of any of the grain
mentioned sh ould be planted, as
relatively thin stand is desirable.
There are those who believe that
grain crop affords some protection
to the young clover against freezes
in the winter. The clover makes an
excellent bottom crop to grow in as
ISOLATION Win any of the crops men
toned. 1t gives variety to the graz
ing and to the hay. The combination
crops suggested mature so nearly at
the same time that an excellent hay
may be made therefron. We have
seeded crimson clover with all of the
cereals mentioned with good results.
We have also used it in combination
with hairy vetch, but we are dis
posed to prefer to grow the vetch
with any of the cereals mentioned
and utilize the clover in the same
way rather than to make a combina-
ton of vetch, clover and cereal. If
vetch and clover are used in asslcia-
ton with a cereal then smaller
amounts of seed should be planted.
Ten pounds of vetch and ten pounds
of clover should be enough to use
under the circumstances indicated.
Crimson clover when young is rel
atively tender and should not be
grazed or trampled on that account.
We think it can seldom be used as
a source of pasturage during the fall.
Light grazing, however, by chickens,