The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1922-07-27
FARM BUREAU NOTES
By Ira Drymon, County Agent.

The following story of sweet Glow
er has been Of much interest to the
farmers and is a fine demonstration
OF the value of this legume in soil
building work.
A crop that will bring run down
land back to high state OF fertility
and at the same time furnish suffi-
cient pasture foF three head of cat
tie an acre is crop which has Mus
Gle Shoals beat in more ways than
one.
This crop is sweet clover and a
nstration of its ability to Craze
stock may be seen on the w. y. Ran
kin farm few miles southeast Of
Tarkio, in Atchison county. On this
farm Mr.. Rankin has field OF 100
acres in sweet clover which Isl main
tanning sos head OF cattle and 400
head of hogs. Farmers have come
from far and near to See what
seemed to be impossible, yet went
away convinced. Recently P. H.
Ross, State County Agent leader in
Missouri, visited this. field accom-
panied by the county agent of Atch-
son county. The following data was
obtained by them as to the feeding
operations on this particular field:
The 500 head OF cattle were started
on full feed during the spring while
they were grazing in blue grass
pasture which furnished abundant
forage. The cattle consumed 2lo
bushels Of corn a day and in addi-
ton 4 loads of alfalfa hay. During
the early part OF May the cattle with
400 head Of hogs were transferred to
the 100 acres Of sweet clover. The
amount of corn which the cattle
would eat dropped to 100 bushels
with no additional hay feed. They
have since decreased corn consump- |
ton until they now consume Us
bushels day. Feeders who have
been observing the cattle report that
they are gaining as well or better
than when on the blue grass The
sweet clover pasture in place OF be-
ing grazed down closely is now conf
ing on with more abundance than
ever.
This particular field was sown to
sweet clover with oats two years ago |
this spring Last year, which was
the second summer for the clover it ,
maintained 100 head OF steers which
received no other feed. There was
also only half stand Of clover. Ad-
ditional seed was sown in the spring
last year and it is the crop from this
seed which furnished the early pas
ture for the cattle this year. 1his
crop is now seeding but the clover
which came up this spring from the
volunteer seed Of last year is the
clover which is now making the pas
ture. 1t is about s inches high and
will remain green and excellent pas
:ure until late in the fall. MIR. Ran
sin, who owns several thousand acres
IF land in Atchison county has seed
ID nearly thousand acres OF land TO
sweet clover for pasture and fertillz-
ng purposes. While corn is selling
below cost of production MIR. Kan
lin is building up the soil to high
tate of fertility and at the same time
,etting a pasture which is proving
econd to none.
A few years ago just few scat
ering farmers were sowing the SWEEP
lover. This last year figures from
he seed dealers show that as much
S $4,000 acres have been seeded IN
he county making the acreage OF
weet clover second only to that OF
orn as a crop. Not all Of the seed .
own will make stand as the dry (
reather will cause heavy loss but {
armers have seen the value of the j
rop and the stands will come. a
rop which will Craze over head OF t
teers to the acre when one to the '
ere is usually considered the mimi {
,um. and a crop which will greatly
lcrease the yielding power OF the