84 FARMEES' INSTITUTES. 



on all their lands with tenacious red or yellow clay subsoil, even though the 

 soil be thin; and once set, it remains as long as the farmer desires, pro- 

 vided he does not mow more than twice each year, nor graze too heavily. 



In Georgia: The late C. W. Howard says, "This is the most valuable 

 herbaceous plant to the Southern farmer. It bears grazing admirably, 

 makes excellent hay and in large quantity, and thrives on land of moderate 

 fertility. The doubts as to whether red clover would succeed at the South 

 have been dispelled. At the South it lasts for several years." 



Red clover is valuable to enricli the land and hence to enrich the owner; 

 it is not excelled by any forage crop as a wholesome summer pasture for 

 swine, and some have spoken very highly of its use in winter when fed to 

 swine in the form of hay. For soiling, a good growth of red clover is verj 

 valuable and it has often beeti packed into the silo to feed as ensilage in the 

 winter. 



AVe have ample testimony from a great variety of sources that red clover 

 with a liltle gypsum and perhaps a top dressing of some other fertilizer, is 

 one of the best ways to smother and kill out our worst weeds. 



The following was furnished by special request by J. S. Woodward, now 

 one of the editors of the Ihiral New Yorker : 



" Canada thistles have long roots which store up nourishment during the 

 latter part of summer and fall to feed the spring growth. I kill the thistles 

 without the loss of a crop, as follows: Have the land rich, if possible, at 

 least have it well seeded to clover and by top-dressing with plaster, ashes, or 

 by some means get as good growth to the clover as possible. As soon as the 

 clover is in full bloom, and here and there a thistle shows a blossom, mow 

 and make the crop, thistles and all, into hay. After mowing, apply a little 

 plaster to quickly start the growth of clover; you will find this to come 

 much quicker than the thistles. As soon as the clover has a good start, 

 from July 20th to August 5th, plow down, being careful to plow all the 

 land and to fully cover all growth. Then roll and harrow at once, so as to 

 cover every thistle. But few thistles will ever show themselves after this, 

 and they will look pale and weak. When they do show, cultivate thor- 

 oughly with a cultivator having broad, sharp teeth, so as to cut every one off 

 under ground. In two days, go over with a sharp hoe and cut off any that 

 may have escaped the cultivator. Watch the thistles, and keep using the 

 hoe and cultivator until freezing weather. You will see them getting 

 scarcer and scarcer each time and looking as though they had the consump- 

 tion. By plowing this field just before freezing up, you will have the land 

 in the finest condition for a spring crop. This plan not only kills thistles, 

 but ox-eye daisies and other weeds. It is much better than a summer-fallow, 

 and without the loss of any crop," 



PUTTIXG IN THE SEED. 



Too little care is exercised in selecting the seed, as most of it contains 

 more or less seeds of pernicious weeds, and especially does this caution 

 become more and more necessary as the country becomes older. The 

 troublesome weeds of a farm can generally be directly traced to foul seeds 

 sown with grasses and clovers for the meadows and pastures. 



In the northern portion of the United States numerous experiments seem 

 to clearly indicate that it is best to sow seeds of red clover in spring. In 

 some sections it is sown even before freezing ceases, but many now practice 



