164 Missouri Agririil / iiraJ 1^( pari. 



1)('(1 should lie pi'cpai'cd l)y the usf of ;i linrrow, disc di'ill or even a 

 harrow. The seed will thus be covered and moisture conserved to in- 

 sure further growth. It may he necessary under some conditions to 

 sow clover in the spring without a nurse crop, and after a careful 

 preparation of the seed bed. 



The top drcssi)i(j of maiiio-f. — Witli only the ordinary method of 

 sowing clover on the frozen ground or on snow, even on some of the poor- 

 est lands, a top dressing of manure will most generally insure a good 

 stand. (See Figure ]..) On run-down lands, and where only a limited 

 amount of manure is available, this is doubtless one of the best ways in 

 which manure can b(^ utilized. 



A nndrh of sirnic. — (See Figure 2.) When sufficient manure is 

 not available, a nuUch of straw will prove very effective. If there is a 

 sligiit covering of straw, leaves, stalks or otluM- vegetable matter on the 

 surface of the soil, it will usually insure a good stand of clover and 

 maintain it throughout the season. Such a covering holds moisture, 

 prevents undue baking and cracking of the soil and is a great protec- 

 tion to the young clover crop. (See Figure 3.) 



Humus and vrgptnhle material in the soil. — The depletion of organic 

 matter in the soil, and its inmiediate effects, is doubtless responsible for 

 many of the increasing clover failures. In its absence the soil becomes 

 compact and lifeless, crusts and cracks, and moisture escapes very 

 rapidly, thus furnishing a very unfavorable condition for the growth 

 of clover in its early stages. IMost soils when new, and as long as proper- 

 ly handled thereafter, have an abundance of vegetable matter in them, 

 and little difficidty is experienced in getting a stand of clover, but with 

 years of continuous cropping this becomes used up and a change takes 

 place in the soil, very largely due to this fact, which makes clover grow- 

 ing more and more uncertain. A decided effort should be made to cor- 

 rect this detieiency. 



Lime. — ]\lost soils have sufficient amounts of lime to insure a good 

 growth of clover if other conditions are favorable, but some soils are 

 naturally low in their lime content. On such soils many years of crop- 

 ping sometimes reduces this lime to a point where a profitable crop of 

 clover cannot be produced. Short cut methods of trying to find out 

 whether lime is needed should be avoided by farmers in general. The 

 surest and safest way for the average farmer to fiiul out whether his 

 fields need lime is to apply lime to a small area and watch the results on 

 the clover as compared with no lime. Sorrel should not be taken as 

 a certain indication that lime is needed. It will grow in the presence 

 of an abundance of lime. Applying lime will not kill it out, but a 



