diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/63165.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/63165.txt | 1040 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 1040 deletions
diff --git a/old/63165.txt b/old/63165.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4dd23bd..0000000 --- a/old/63165.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1040 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of USDA Farmers' Bulletin No. 550: Crimson -Clover: Growing the Crop, by John Minton Westgate - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: USDA Farmers' Bulletin No. 550: Crimson Clover: Growing the Crop - -Author: John Minton Westgate - -Release Date: September 10, 2020 [EBook #63165] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK USDA BULLETIN NO. 552: CRIMSON CLOVER *** - - - - -Produced by Tom Cosmas from files generously made available -by USDA through The Internet Archive. All resultant -materials are placed in the Public Domain. - - - - - - - - - - -=Transcriber Note= - -Text emphasis denoted by _Italics_ and =Bold=. - - - Issued July 9, 1913. - - U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. - - Farmers' Bulletin 550 - - - CRIMSON CLOVER: - - GROWING THE CROP. - - - BY - - J. M. WESTGATE - -_Agronomist in Charge of Clover Investigations. Office of Forage-Crop -Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry._ - - - - -WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 1913. - - - - -LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. - - - U. S. Department of Agriculture, - Bureau or Plant Industry, - Office or the Chief, - _Washington, D. C., June 12, 1915_. - -Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith and to recommend for -publication as a Farmers' Bulletin the accompanying manuscript entitled -"Crimson Clover: Growing the Crop." This has been prepared by Mr. J. M. -Westgate, Agronomist in Charge of Clover Investigations, and has been -submitted by Prof. C. V. Piper, Agrostologist in Charge of Forage-Crop -Investigations, with a view to publication. It is expected that this -bulletin will be followed soon by other bulletins, each treating of some -particular phase of this important crop. - - Respectfully, - Wm. A. Taylor, - _Chief of Bureau_. - - Hon. D. F. Houston, - _Secretary of Agriculture_. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - Page. - Introduction 3 - History and present distribution of crimson clover 3 - Requirements for obtaining and maintaining a stand of - crimson clover 5 - Preparation of the Seed bed 6 - Fertilizers for crimson clover 6 - Liming soils for crimson clover 7 - Inoculation for crimson clover 8 - Seeding crimson clover 8 - Various methods of seeding crimson clover 9 - Seeding crimson clover in intertilled crops 10 - Seeding crimson clover after early-maturing crops 12 - Seeding crimson clover with late summer-seeded annual crops 13 - Crimson clover in mixtures with other legumes and grain 13 - Seeding crimson clover alone 15 - Treatment of crimson clover stands after seeding 15 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - Page. - Fig. 1. A single plant of crimson clover. 4 - 2. A crimson-clover failure on ground too poor in humus 5 - 3. Seeding crimson clover in corn at the last cultivation 10 - 4. Crimson clover in an old cornfield 11 - 5. Crimson clover and wheat in mixture 14 - - - - -CRIMSON CLOVER: GROWING THE CROP. - - - - -=INTRODUCTION.= - - -Probably the most important characteristic of crimson clover is its -ability to grow and make its crop during the season when the land is -not occupied by the ordinary summer-growth crops. In sections where it -succeeds, crimson clover can be sown following a grain crop or in an -intertilled crop in late summer and will mature a hay crop the following -spring in time to plow the land for spring-seeded crops, such as corn or -cotton. It may even be held for seed as far north as central Delaware -and the stubble be plowed under in time for seeding the quick-maturing -strains of corn. It may be turned under for soil improvement when only 6 -inches high if it Is desired to fit the land for early spring-seeded crops -Even if only the stubble be turned under, the effect upon the succeeding -crop will be marked, especially if the soil be deficient in nitrogenous -fertilizers. The plowing under of the entire plant, however, will more -rapidly correct any deficiency of nitrates or humus in the soil. It is -one of the best cover crops for use in orchards and, in fact, under any -conditions where the soil is likely to wash during the winter months. The -many uses to which this crop may be put merit a careful study of the best -methods of establishing ii stand of crimson clover upon a farm. - - - - -=HISTORY AND PRESENT DISTRIBUTION OF CRIMSON CLOVER.= - - -Crimson clover (fig. 1) is frequently called "Scarlet clover" and, -somewhat loss commonly, "German clover," "Italian clover," "French -clover," "Incarnate clover," "Annual clover," etc. It occurs wild in -England and in eastern and southern Europe and is grown as a forage and -soil-improving crop in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, and Great Britain. -It was introduced into this country as early as 1822, but was grown only -to a very limited extent until about 1880. It has proved especially -adapted to the lighter, sandy soils of the eastern part of the United -States where the winters are not too severe. - -In the Middle Atlantic States it is also grown to a considerable extent on -the clay soils of the Piedmont section. - -In Michigan it is sometimes used on the sandy soils as a cover crop in -peach orchards, although it frequently winterkills. It can not ordinarily -survive the severe winters of the Northern States.[1] - -[1] In such northern sections where a fall-seeded legume is desired it is -suggested that hairy vetch seeded with rye be used instead. See Farmers' -Bulletin 515, entitled "Vetches." - -[Illustration: Fig. 1.--A single plant of crimson clover.] - -Crimson clover is a "winter annual," that is, it ordinarily makes its -early growth in the autumn, passes the winter in a somewhat dormant but -green state, makes a very early spring growth, and matures its seed and -dies before summer. It makes little or no growth in very hot weather and -therefore should not be sown in the spring, except in the extreme North, -where it may make a satisfactory growth by autumn, so that & hay crop may -be taken from it at that time. - - - - -=REQUIREMENTS FOR OBTAINING AND MAINTAINING A STAND OF CRIMSON -CLOVER.= - - -Unless the conditions of soil and moisture are exactly right it is not an -easy matter to establish a satisfactory stand of crimson clover, even in -the sections where it is most extensively produced. (Fig. 2.) The lack of -timely rains in late summer is responsible for most of the failures to -obtain a satisfactory stand. The young seedlings are very easily killed -by the hot sun or lack of moisture. On the other hand, if the seeding be -delayed too long, as, for instance, in waiting for the proper conditions -of soil moisture, the plants will be unable to make sufficient growth to -withstand the winter. Briefly speaking, crimson clover should be seeded -shallow on a moist, reasonably fertile, well-drained, well-settled seed -bed. Inoculation in some form should be provided, especially when seeding -it for the first time on any fields in sections comparatively new to this -crop. - -[Illustration: Fig. 2.--A crimson-clover failure on ground too poor in -humus.] - -Crimson clover is not adapted to the white-clay lands in their present -condition in some portions of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Such fields -should be seeded to soy beans or cowpeas when a leguminous crop is -desired for soil improvement or other purposes.[2] Crimson clover does -not do well on rough, newly cleared land and it ordinarily requires -the production of two or three crops or a special preparation by liming, -manuring, and inoculating before such land presents conditions -satisfactory for seeding. It is usually better to sow rye for a winter -cover and cowpeas for a summer crop if a cover crop is thought to be -needed. In any section where crimson clover has not been previously grown -the first seeding should be on a small scale to determine whether or not -it is a practicable crop for the locality in question. - -[2] These white-clay soils are nearly always sour, deficient In humus, and -poorly drained. If limed, subsoiled, drained, and supplied with humus, -such soils are said to grow crimson clover satisfactorily. - - -=PREPARATION OF THE SEED BED.= - -The seed bed for crimson clover should be firm, moist, well settled, -and fine on top. Any efforts that may be expended to conserve the soil -moisture previous to seeding are usually justified, especially if there -be any lack of rainfall during the month previous or the month following -seeding. Where the clover is seeded in an intertilled crop, such as -corn, cotton, or tomatoes, the customary cultivation received by these -crops is ordinarily sufficient for the needs of crimson clover. Where -grain-stubble land is plowed in preparation for the clover a month or six -weeks are ordinarily required for the soil to settle sufficiently to make -a proper seed bed, since after plowing at least one soaking rain, which -compacts the soil and fills it with moisture, is essential to the proper -preparation of the seed bed for crimson clover. If the ground be disked, -a much shorter time and less rain are required for the proper settling of -the seed bed. The best method of retaining the moisture in the seed bed -is to harrow or give shallow cultivation shortly after each rain. A fine -soil mulch on the surface will largely prevent the soil just beneath the -surface from losing its moisture through evaporation. Such surface tillage -should, of course, be given before seeding the crimson clover. - - -=FERTILIZERS FOR CRIMSON CLOVER.= - -Under the ordinary conditions of soil fertility the fertilizer applied to -the preceding crop is sufficient for the needs of crimson clover. This -is especially true where the clover follows such crops as potatoes or -tomatoes, which are ordinarily heavily treated with fertilizers that are -not entirely used up by these crops. It is important to realize, however, -that crimson clover has a very short period of growth and that to make a -vigorous growth it must have a good supply of plant food. On sandy soils -where there has been no recent application of fertilizers it is often the -practice to apply from 200 to 400 pounds of a mixture of equal parts of -acid phosphate and kainite. On clay soils 300 or 400 pounds per acre of -acid phosphate are ordinarily sufficient. If the soil be low in nitrates a -light application of nitrate of soda will assist materially in giving the -young clover plants a good start and winter which otherwise might have -proved fatal to the stand. If the seeding has been delayed, as by waiting -for suitable rains, an application of nitrate fertilizer will stimulate -the young plants and enable them to make an increased growth before winter. - -Any direct application of fertilizer is usually made at seeding time, but -some few farmers have been found who apply it as a top dressing very early -the following spring, giving as a reason that there is no loss from winter -leaching and that the plants are by this method nourished at the time they -are making their most vigorous growth. Such top dressings of fertilizer -should not be made while the leaves are wet with rain or dew. Where stable -manure is applied to crimson clover very marked results follow. It may be -spread just before seeding, when the clover is not grown in an intertilled -crop, or it may be applied as a top dressing in winter or very early -spring. - -The more vigorous the growth that can be induced by the application of -suitable fertilizers the more marked will be the increase in the yield -of the succeeding crops. On soil not well supplied with humus or plant -food the use of a reasonable amount of fertilizer will often enable a -successful crop of clover and succeeding crops to be produced where, -had not the fertilizers been applied, the clover would have failed. -Furthermore, the following crop, particularly if it be corn, would also -fail to give the increased yield which follows a successful stand of -crimson clover. - -An application of barnyard manure will be found to be especially effective -in obtaining a stand of crimson clover on any thin, galled spots in the -field. The manure should be worked into the ground and, if possible, a -second application as a top dressing should be given such thin places to -partially shade the ground from the August sun while the seedlings are -establishing themselves. - - -=LIMING SOILS FOR CRIMSON CLOVER.= - -Most of the soils in the crimson-clover sections will be found to be -benefited by liming. Crimson clover, however, does not appear to require -lime to the extent that red clover does. Frequently on well-drained soils -in a good state of fertility the crimson clover makes a vigorous growth -without the use of lime. The stands are, however, usually more uniformly -good over the limed parts of such fields than on the parts that have -received no line. The opinion among individual farmers appears to be about -equally divided as to whether or not it pays them to lime their soils -for crimson clover. In considering the advisability of applying lime one -must not lose sight of the need of lime on the part of such other crops -as cantaloupes or peaches, which require lime and which are either grown -with the clover or follow it. Inasmuch as the extent of the benefit is -somewhat uncertain it is suggested that the particular requirements of -the farm in question be determined by liming small plats at different -rates before any considerable areas are limed. The most profitable rate of -application can then be adopted for the whole acreage. - - -=INOCULATION FOR CRIMSON CLOVER.= - -Fortunately most of the soils in the crimson-clover sections appear to -be already inoculated. This is especially true in sandy soil areas where -crimson clover has been grown for a number of seasons. In sections new to -this crop inoculation in some form is usually necessary. On clay soils -inoculation is not always present, even though crimson clover may have -been grown, for a number of successive seasons on other fields of the farm. - -An experiment conducted by the Alabama State Agricultural Experiment -Station shows how essential inoculation is on soils which have not -previously grown crimson clover. In this experiment a yield of 4,057 -pounds of crimson clover hay was secured where the plants were inoculated, -as compared with only 761 pounds where no inoculation was provided. In -another test by the same station the inoculated plat of crimson clover -yielded at the rate of 6,100 pounds of cured hay per acre, while the -uninoculated plat was a total failure. - -Inoculation by the use of soil from a crimson-clover field is considerably -more certain than is inoculation by the use of pure cultures, but soil -inoculation is open to the danger of introducing noxious weeds, insects, -and plant diseases, especially if the soil is brought from a distance. -There is much less danger in this respect if soil from inoculated plants -can be obtained in the same neighborhood. One very practicable method is -to apply a bottle of pure culture[3] to a pound or two of the seed and sow -this in the corner of some field, or even in the garden. The resulting -plants will be quite sure to be inoculated and will furnish an abundant -supply of soil for inoculating much larger areas at the next seeding. Care -must be taken not to allow the sun to shine upon either the pure cultures -or the soil, or even on the seed after it is broadcasted. For this -reason it is safest to seed on a cloudy day or after sundown. One very -satisfactory method of soil inoculation consists merely in mixing together -equal parts of the proper soil and seed and sowing immediately in front of -the covering harrow. - -[3] Pure cultures are sent free by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. -Full instructions for using them accompany each bottle. - - -=SEEDING CRIMSON CLOVER.= - -Crimson clover may be sown broadcast, by hand, with a wheel-barrow -"sheep-trough" seeder, or with any of the familiar types of rotary -seeders. It is sometimes drilled in and there are a number of specially -constructed drills designed for this purpose. - -The consensus of opinion among farmers is that shallow seeding is -generally best, especially upon the clay soils. An inch in sandy soils and -half an inch in clay soils appears to be about the right depth except in -times of drought. - -The ordinary rate of seeding is 15 pounds per acre, although some use 20 -pounds, while others are able to obtain satisfactory stands with only 12 -pounds per acre. One pound of seed per acre provides for three seeds for -every square foot; hence, if every seed produced a plant, 2 pounds per -acre would be theoretically sufficient to secure a satisfactory stand. -Under ordinary circumstances, however, it is necessary to allow for some -of the seed being covered too deep, while a considerable proportion may -prove to be covered too shallow for successful growth. The principal -justification of seeding such a quantity and at varying depths lies in -the fact that in case a dry season develops after seeding the more deeply -covered seeds will be able to withstand the drought better than those -covered to a medium depth. If an unusually wet season develops, the -shallow-planted seeds will give the best results. Moreover, some of the -seed will fail to germinate. It is also well to have a fairly thick stand -of the young plants, so that the ground may be well covered even during -early fall, and thus prevent the winter-growing weeds from establishing -themselves. - -It is held by many farmers that they are more certain of getting a stand -of crimson clover if they sow the seed in the hull rather than use the -hulled seed as it ordinarily appears on the market. It is claimed that -the hulls hold the moisture to some extent. Seed in the hull can easily -be obtained by flailing out a load of crimson clover which has been left -uncut in the field until the seed is mature. Many farmers run the clover -through an ordinary grain thrasher, which delivers the seed in the hull. - - - - -=VARIOUS METHODS OF SEEDING CRIMSON CLOVER.= - - -Crimson clover may be seeded in late summer in any of the ordinary -intertilled crops. It may be seeded alone following any farm crop which -can be removed from the land by early summer, so that the seed can be -sown in late summer or very early fall. It may also be seeded for hay in -mixture with grain, such as wheat, rye, barley, or winter oats, which are -ready to cut for hay at about the same time as the clover the following -spring. A very light seeding of an animal catch crop, such as buckwheat, -may be made with crimson clover in time for the catch crop to make its -growth before winter. - - -=SEEDING CRIMSON CLOVER IN INTERTILLED CROPS.= - -Although crimson clover may be seeded in almost any of the intertilled -crops, in this country probably half of it is sown in corn at or shortly -after the time of the last cultivation. (Fig. 3.) It is usually possible -to make such a seeding, obtain a good growth during the fall and early -spring, and mature a crop of hay in time for breaking up the land for -another crop of corn. South of the latitude of central Delaware it is even -possible to mature a crop of clover seed in time for corn planting. In -this way it is possible to grow a crop of corn each year and at the same -time steadily increase the fertility of the soil for a series of years. -Treated in this manner each succeeding crop of corn can ordinarily be -materially increased. Instances are reported where the yield of corn has -been gradually increased by this means from 10 bushels per acre at the -start until as high as 70 bushels per acre were secured. - -[Illustration: Fig. 3.--Seeding crimson clover in corn at the -last cultivation.] - -The newly seeded stands of clover in corn are likely to perish if drought -occurs at or after seeding time. Tho growing corn makes heavy demands on -the soil moisture, and if there is not enough moisture for both clover and -corn the latter gets the larger share and the tender clover plants are -likely to succumb. It sometimes happens that a very light rain shortly -after seeding the clover will cause the seeds to germinate, only to perish -during the succeeding days of dry weather. On account of the competition -for moisture between the corn and clover it is best to cover the clover -seed a little deeper than is necessary when it is sown on fallow land. - -North, of the Potomac River the last cultivation of the corn comes at -about the right time for the best results with clover seeded at the same -time. Farther south, however, there is too much hot weather after the corn -is laid by, and as a consequence it is best to delay the seeding of the -crimson clover until about 8 or 10 weeks before the first frost may be -expected. A light furrow-toothed cultivator or harrow may be run shallow -between the rows to cover the seed. The seed may be sown broadcast by hand -or even from horseback with a rotary seeder. In such an event, however, it -is necessary to cover the ears of the horse with small bags or socks to -prevent the entrance of the flying seed. A much more even stand is made -possible if the corn is given level tillage rather than the ridged tillage -incident to plowing with a 1-horse corn plow and ridging the land. The -appearance of a field of crimson clover seeded the summer previous in corn -is indicated in figure 4. - -[Illustration: Fig. 4.--Crimson clover in an old cornfield. The clover -was seeded in the corn at the last cultivation. A fodder stack is to be -observed in the middle foreground. The cornstalks have been removed to -avoid difficulty in mowing the clover.] - -In North Carolina and southern Virginia it has been found possible under -favorable conditions to obtain a satisfactory stand of clover by seeding -in cotton. The clover should not be sown until 10 or 12 weeks before frost -and the last working of the cotton comes ordinarily at an earlier date -than this. It is necessary that the cotton be given very clean culture, -as well as special attention paid to conserving the moisture in the -prospective clover-seed bed. Unless the first show of cotton is picked -early it is difficult to cover the clover seed without unduly injuring the -opened cotton bolls. In the higher and more northern parts of the cotton -belt it is possible to make the clover seeding before the bolls begin to -burst. - -Crimson clover may be seeded in practically any of the cultivated truck -crops which receive their last cultivation from 8 to 12 weeks before the -first frost. It is not practicable to seed the clover in late potatoes, -as the digging of the potatoes in the fall practically destroys the stand -of clover. The heavy application of fertilizers necessary for the truck -crop makes possible a vigorous growth of the clover. The result is that -the soil is materially built up in both nitrogen and humus. The clover -makes its growth at a season of the year when the land is not ordinarily -occupied by any of the regular truck crops. - -When timely rains follow the seeding it is possible to seed the clover -on the surface of the ground among cantaloupe vines and allow the first -rain to cover the seed. The shade is apparently too dense under watermelon -vines for the clover seedlings to survive. The writer has obtained a good -stand by seeding the clover seed, without covering, in sweet potatoes the -first week in August on sandy land near Washington, D. C. By hand-digging -the potatoes with a spade a fair stand of the clover plants was left -unharmed. - - -=SEEDING CRIMSON CLOVER AFTER EARLY-MATURING CROPS.= - -It is possible to seed crimson clover after practically any of the -ordinary farm crops which can be removed from the land three months before -frost. - -It is somewhat difficult to obtain anything like an ideal seed bed for -crimson clover where a field of grain stubble has been plowed under. The -soil in a stubble field is apt to be dry and cloddy when plowed, while -the stubble tends to form a dry mat at the bottom of each furrow. Such a -condition is likely to continue for a number of weeks after plowing and -to result disastrously to the clover seedlings unless there be abundant -and frequent rains. It is ordinarily a better practice to disk the grain -stubble and harrow every week, or at least after every rain, in order to -settle the ground and assist in holding the moisture pending the time of -seeding. Such frequent harrowings will also kill the successive crops of -germinating weed seeds, which might otherwise injure the young stand of -clover. - -On the other hand, the ground from which early potatoes have been removed -is very favorable for the establishment of a stand of crimson clover. -The residual effect of the fertilizers used on the potatoes is partially -responsible for this, while the well-settled seed bed, which requires -only leveling and harrowing, also presents favorable conditions for the -crimson-clover seedlings. - - -=SEEDING CRIMSON CLOVER WITH LATE SUMMER-SEEDED ANNUAL CROPS.= - -Crimson clover may be seeded in midsummer or in late summer with a very -light seeding of buckwheat. The buckwheat soon forms an ideal shade for -the young clover plants and unless frosts occur very early a crop of -buckwheat may usually be harvested. This method has been suggested as -being applicable when seeding the clover in cotton. If the buckwheat -is not seeded until August it will not ordinarily produce seed in the -latitude of Washington, D. C. Wherever possible, the seeding of buckwheat -and crimson clover should be made so early that there will be time for the -buckwheat to mature its seed crop, as in this way the buckwheat itself -will pay for the expense of starting both stands. A light seeding of the -buckwheat must be made, as an ordinary stand of buckwheat shades the -ground so completely as to destroy the crimson clover. - -Another method of preventing the injurious effect of the hot sun of -late summer is to make a light seeding of cowpeas at the same time that -the crimson clover is seeded. The cowpeas germinate promptly, and being -rather thin on the ground do not injure the stand of clover, but on the -contrary afford sufficient shade to prevent the soil from becoming as -hot as it otherwise would. In addition, the clover plants receive some -protection from the direct rays of the sun. There is ordinarily not enough -time for the cowpeas to mature, so they are either mown for hay or left -standing to catch the snow during the winter and protect the stand of -clover. In seedlings made by the writer half a bushel of cowpeas per acre, -broadcasted, gave vary satisfactory results, the seeding being made August -1 on sandy ground near Washington, D. C. The clover and cowpeas were sown -broadcast on early-potato ground and covered from one-half to 1 inch deep. - -If a light seeding of turnips be made with the clover, the turnip plants -will afford some protection to the young clover plants and at the same -time will ordinarily yield a fair crop of turnips. About 1 pound of turnip -seed and 15 pounds of clover seed should be sown to the acre. If the -seeding of turnips be at all heavy the coarse-growing turnip plants will -choke out too many of the clover plants. The Cow Horn turnips appear to be -especially adapted for seeding with crimson clover. - - -=CRIMSON CLOVER IN MIXTURES WITH OTHER LEGUMES AND GRAIN.= - -When crimson clover is seeded alone on good soil it is likely to make so -rank a growth as to lodge. To overcome this difficulty it is a common -practice to seed some small-grain crop with the clover at seeding time. -South of the Potomac River winter oats are ordinarily very satisfactory, -especially when seeded with the late white-blooming strain of crimson -clover. In Delaware and eastern Maryland wheat is commonly used. In -addition to wheat and oats, rye or barley is sometimes used. The customary -rate of seeding is about 15 pounds of clover seed and 30 pounds of grain -per acre. The accompanying illustration (fig. 5) indicates the appearance -of a field seeded to a mixture of crimson clover and wheat. The grain -prevents the clover from lodging, facilitates the curing of the clover -hay, and, in addition, forms a valuable constituent of the resulting hay -crop. The yield of the mixture is ordinarily somewhat more than when the -clover is seeded alone. The Alabama State Agricultural Experiment Station -secured as the average for two years' experiments the following yields of -hay: - - Yield per acre. - - Crimson clover seeded alone 2,836 pounds. - Crimson clover seeded in mixtures: - Barley and crimson clover 3,695 pounds. - Wheat and crimson clover 3,771 pounds. - Oats and crimson clover 4,228 pounds. - -[Illustration: Fig. 5.--Crimson clover and wheat in mixture. In the -foreground the crop has been cut and fed green to stock. The remainder -was cut the next day for hay. The grain prevents the crimson clover from -lodging.] - -The grain is usually well headed but is in the milk or soft-dough stage -when the clover is ready to cut. The presence of the grain hay makes the -clover hay more easily cured. With winter oats it is usually best to seed -the late white-blooming variety of crimson clover, as the oat crop matures -somewhat later than the ordinary crimson clover. Another advantage of this -mixture is that if either should fail the other will be present to serve -as a cover crop during winter and bring some return the following spring. - -Crimson clover may be seeded in mixtures with vetch, shaftal clover, -trefoil, or, in fact, any winter-growing legume which has a growing season -similar to crimson clover. Since most of these legumes are not upright in -their growth it is usually necessary to seed some grain crop with them -to serve as a support and to prevent the plants from lodging. The grain -is ordinarily a surer crop than the legumes and practically insures the -ground being covered with some crop during the winter and spring months. - - -=SEEDING CRIMSON CLOVER ALONE.= - -If a good seed bed can be prepared by August 1 in the latitude of -Washington, D. C., crimson clover will ordinarily produce a satisfactory -stand if seeded entirely alone. This is especially true on the clay -soils, where it is often difficult to obtain a successful catch in corn -at the last working. The seed is sown at the same rate as when seeded -in corn, namely, about 15 pounds per acre. It is the common practice to -broadcast the seed and to cover with a very light barrow or weeder. Unless -the August sun be unduly hot and a drought develops, such seeding will -ordinarily produce very satisfactory results if the soil be reasonably -fertile. - - - - -=TREATMENT OF CRIMSON CLOVER STANDS AFTER SEEDING.= - - -Ordinarily no special treatment is required after seeding, and before -winter comes on some fall pasturage may be obtained if the growth be -sufficiently rank. A light pasturing with sheep has been noted to induce -heavier stooling on the part of the crimson clover. Only a light pasturing -with small animals, such as sheep, calves, or chickens, should be made in -either the fall or spring before the early spring growth is well under -way. If the time of seeding has been delayed, or if for any reason it is -feared that the plants will be unable to make sufficient growth before -cold weather, it has been found that a top dressing of nitrate of soda -alone or in mixture with muriato of potash will greatly hasten the fall -growth. This reduces the danger from winterkilling and heaving out in the -early spring. - - - * * * * * - - -=Transcriber Note= - -Minor typos have been corrected. Illustrations were moved to prevent -splitting paragraphs. Produced from files generously made available by -USDA through The Internet Archive. All resultant materials are placed in -the Public Domain. - - - - - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of USDA Farmers' Bulletin No. 550: -Crimson Clover: Growing the Crop, by John Minton Westgate - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK USDA BULLETIN NO. 552: CRIMSON CLOVER *** - -***** This file should be named 63165.txt or 63165.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/1/6/63165/ - -Produced by Tom Cosmas from files generously made available -by USDA through The Internet Archive. All resultant -materials are placed in the Public Domain. - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |