The Bulletin. 21 



This plant is an annual, making its growth in late fall, winter 

 and early spring. 



While crimson clover succeeds on a great variety of soils, it does 

 best on fertile soil, but farmers will realize most benefit from it by 

 sowing it on medium or thinner soils in order to bring them np to a 

 higher state of fertility. This crop will thrive on soils that would 

 not grow either a crop of alfalfa or red clover. A clay loam usually 

 suits it best, though it will grow on extremes, from sand to heavy 

 clay, if the soil contains the bacteria necessary for the plant. 



PREPARATION OF THE LAND. 



If it be sowed after a crop of cowpeas, cut the peas off for hay 

 and disc the stubble and sow crimson clover seed on the disked land 

 at the rate of 15 to 20 pounds of clean seed per acre, and either disc 

 them or run a drag harrow over them. In central North Carolina 

 this should be done in September, when the soil contains sufficient 

 moisture to insure germination. In the western and mountainous 

 parts of the State the seed can be sowed earlier at the last cultivation 

 of the crops, usually with good results. If to be sowed in standing 

 corn, the clover seed can be sowed at the proper time and cultivated 

 in with a light cultivator or harrow. If sowed in cotton, that should 

 be done about the time of the first or second picking, and immediately 

 after the pickers and cultivated in as for corn. If the land is acid 

 or sour, it may require liming to grow crimson clover, from two to 

 five barrels per acre, according to the acidity of the land. 



INOCULATION OF THE SOIL. 



The surest way to succeed in getting land inoculated is by getting 

 soil from a field that has grown crimson clover successfully the 

 previous year, or from a field that is growing red or white clover. 

 If soil is convenient apply as much as a wagon load per acre, though 

 two or three hundred pound? will give partial inoculation. It will 

 be a waste of time and seed to sow crimson clover on land that does 

 not contain the bacteria, so, unless the crop has grown on the land 

 for some time, the safest plan will be to inoculate the land before 

 sowing the seed. The land may or may not already contain the 

 bacteria, therefore the safest plan will be to inoculate. 



This soil should not be sowed on the land during a bright sunny 

 day as there would be danger of the sunshine killing the bacteria. 

 Preferably, do this on a cloudy day or late in the afternoon and 

 harrow in as quickly as the soil is sown. Sometimes "cultures'' will 

 give good results, but do not depend upon them. The soil plan never 

 fails to give inoculation. 



