Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1924-04-04
Not Sufficiently Resistant to
Cold Weather and Is Sus-
ceptible to Disease.


prepared By the United States Department
Of Agrieultursl
Because italian red clover Is not
sufficiently resistant to cold weather
and is particularly susceptible to dis.
ease, Or. A. J. Pieters and Mr.. Edgar
Brown Of the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture, addressing the
meeting Of the Wholesale Grass Seed
Dealers at Chicago, recommended that
no red clover seed OF italian origin be
imported and that In certain sections
where the winters are severe, no for
eign-srown red clover seed be used.
Observations and careful tests made
In many parts Of the country by the
department and state experiment sta
lions have provided ample proof that
these recommendations are justified.
Whereyer Italian red clover seed
has been tried, with the exception Of
the Pacific Northwest, the result has
been low yields or total natures IN
most cases and when unusually favor
able conditions produced a fairly sat
isfactory first crop there was little
second growth. Where winter condl-
tons are not so severe or where the
snow covering has afforded protection
against the cold the pther foreign red
clover has done fairly well, and be-
cause the supply Of homegrown seed
Is not sufficient 1t is necessary to use
It,.
Yields Compared.
Actual tests at number of stations
show how seed from various sources
produces IN the United States. At
Ashland. Wis, red clover from Chile
produced a first cutting Of BIT tons
per acre; French seed produced 90
tons; Bohemian. 80 tons; and home
grown seed from Idaho. Tennessee,
Wisconsin, Ohio and Oregon averaged
2.S3 tons. Here'the heavy SHOWS COW
ering reduced the effect OF the severe
winter. At Spooner, Wis, where con
ditions were more severe last year, the
Chilean seed produced 1.94 tons; the
French, 1.e4; Bohemian, 197, and
United States seed 2.19 tons per acre.
At Marshfeld. Wis, the Yields OF all
lots were less, Chilean producing L6
tons, French 10. Bohemian IA and
United States 1.6 tons AZ East Ian
sing, Mich, the Michigan seed pro
duccd 246 tons, other United States
seed yielded 2.1s; Chilean produced
2.52 tons; French 2.25. and. Bohemian
1.g4 tons. The clover grown from
Michigan seed made a stronger seed
growth than any OF the others, al
though the European, with the excep-
ton of the Italian, did very well.
AT College Park, Md, Chilean seed
made 2.S2 tons; seed from Ohio pro
duced 294 tons; French seed 246; Bo-
hemlan 20S; Maryland seed 242; and
Tennessee 222 AT Blacksburg. Va.
Chilean seed produced 157 tons
French LBS; bohemian liz; and a
number of lots from different parts Of
the United States averaged 1,59 tons.
At the State college, Pennsylvania, the
foreign clovers, except the Italian, out
yielded that grown from American
seed. but whether or not this was due
to some unusual circumstance has not
yet been determined.
Results have shown that in most
cases American red clover seed is more
satisfactory than foreign-grown seed,
but the crop grown here is insufficient
to meet the demand An average an
nual importation Of 100000 pounds
is needed to make up the deficiency Of
red and alsike seed. II all foreign seed
were. poor the department would not
recommend It's importation even In the
face of the great shortage. but tests
have shown that certain strains do
well here in certain sections where
the weather is not too severe. There
is great need TO increase the produc-
tlon of clover seed in this county.
Much Seed Imported.
II was brought out before the seed
dealers. that between July 1, 1928, and
January 10, 1924. more than 6,70O.000
pounds of red clover seed had been
imported, and that nearly 100000
pounds of 1t had been brought from
Italy. In addition. about 100000 Of
the seed shipped from other parts Of
Europe is thought to have originated
in Italy. Considering the known and
suspected Italian seed, 1t seems that