Farmers' Weeh in Agricultural College. 155 



Spreading stratv on ivJieat ground. — A very interesting and un- 

 usual practice in connection with the management of clover in rotations, 

 including wheat, is to spread straw evenly over the surface of the soil 

 after the wheat is sown and before it comes up. In the absence of suit- 

 able straw spreaders the farmers haul the straw out in small piles and 

 spread it by hand. On the poorest spots whatever manure is available 

 is used, but on the remainder of the field straw is spread with as much 

 care as though the work is being done on strawberry beds. The preced- 

 ing illustration gives an idea of such a coating of straw through which 

 wheat has come up, as well as the appearance of a field in which this 

 practice is carried on. 



This unique practice is found in a section where clover growing 

 in a wheat rotation is a very uncertain undertaking indeed. In these 

 localities the best farmers are resorting to this method as apparently 

 the last extreme. This is necessary to grow clover and be at all suc- 

 cessful. Those who consider this practice not worth while or too labori- 

 ous have about quit trying to grow the crop at all, so numerous and 

 constant have been their failures. The soils on which these conditions 

 are found have been farmed for a great number of years with no thought 

 or provision for keeping up the humus and decaying vegetable matter, 

 and as a result, the surface has l^ecome so hard and lifeless that with- 

 out some special provision like the covering of straw or manure the 

 young clover plants cannot take root and maintain themselves sufficient- 

 ly to give anything like a satisfactory stand. The photograph was taken 

 about ]\Iay 1st, 'and wherever there was a slight covering of straw, some- 

 thing to give some protection and hold the moisture slightly and prevent 

 the ground from baking, there the young clover plants were to be found 

 in great numbers and growing with great vigor. But where there 

 was no straw and the soil was bare, in no case was clover found growing. 

 On this farm the clover seed was sown at any time in March when it 

 was thought that the conditions were right. No special attention was 

 given. The seed Avas sown broadcast, as it is usually done by farmers. 

 During the past summer the writer has had occasion to visit this farm 

 again after a lapse of about three years, and better success with clover 

 every successive year is reported. A failure has not been experienced 

 for some twelve years. This is extremely interesting, as other farmers 

 in that section have failed to get good stands unless it is by this method 

 or by tlie scattering of manure, which is, of course, as good or better. 

 Tliat this man is successful in growing clover by this method is shown 

 by the accompanying photograph, Fig. 3, which was taken on adjoin- 

 ing fields similarly treated the year before. 



