374 ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



ter developed root system by the first of December than will be 

 found in the March sown clover under the care of the robber nurse. 



Since I am considering the clovers with special reference to their 

 fertilizing value, I cannot close this subject without special men- 

 tion of the queen of my fields — the crimson clover. For eight or 

 nine years I have grown this exclusively as a fertilizer. Where- 

 ever a vacancy occurred on ground devoted to early vegetables, 

 among sweet corn, cabbage, etc., 1 sow in the seed, from early in 

 July until the middle of August, and always have a great mass of 

 plants to turn in by the latter part of the following May. This 

 ground is then rolled down compactly and planted to the later vege- 

 tables,- potatoes, corn, cabbage, celery and the like. I have thus 

 increased the yield of potatoes eightj^-two bushels per acre in com- 

 parison with unclovered land, otherwise as fertile that lay beside 

 it. In addition to what has been said on the production of the 

 clovers in general, I mention somethings especially necessary in 

 the production of this. The seed should have been grown in the 

 north from plants thoroughly acclimated. Every farmer may grow 

 his own, and it would be profitable for him to do so. It is an annual 

 and need not interrupt a rotation of crops on the farm; but to be 

 ready to turn in in time for a crop of corn or potatoes it should be 

 sown near the middle of July. If but a light growth is secured, or 

 even if it should be largely destroyed by heavy freezing during the 

 latter part of winter or early spring, as a cover crop and a gatherer 

 of nitrogen, it will have paid tenfold its cost of production. 



The vetches stand in a class by themselves, not only because that 

 in their nitrogen-content they rank the highest, but because they are 

 the most hardy to resist unfavorable climatic and soil conditions. 

 The hairy or winter vetch is the leader. Sown in September it 

 will form a mass that will perfectly cover the ground during winter 

 and be ready to turn in anytime in May. It is better to sow it 

 wf)th rye, since it is of a viney nature and will be held up by the 

 rye convenient for plowing in. Thirty to fifty pounds should be 

 sown to the acre with a bushel of rye. 



Logically, I might close my lesson here; but the wants of feeders 

 as I have observed them throughout the State lead me to add, as 

 a sort of appendix, a word on the production of alfalfa. The 

 enormous sum paid every year by dairymen and others for mill feeds 

 and by-products, and the consequent small margin of profit left to 

 the feeder, calls louder and louder for such feeds as can be grown 

 on the fai'm, meet the demands of an efficient ration, and at the 

 same time enrich the soil. From all the evidence before me, 

 and it is considerable, I believe that such a ration may be found in 

 alfalfa and corn. A test was recently made at the Maryland Ex- 

 periment Station. Eight cows, as nearly alike as conld be selected, 

 were divided into two classes. Four were fed alfalfa and corn meal. 

 The second four were fed corn silage, wheat bran, gluten meal and 

 linseed meal. At the end of four weeks the first four, fed alfalfa 

 and corn meal, had produced two hundred pounds more milk than 

 had the second four. Then the feed was changed. The second 

 four were put on alfalfa and corn meal, and the first four were 

 fed the silage, bran, gluten and linseed meals. At the end of 

 another four weeks the alfalfa and corn-fed cows had produced sev- 

 enty-five pounds more milk thai) Jiad the silage apd brgp-fed cows. 



