CLOVER CULTURE. 71 



tions, which will be hereafter described. Always keeping in 

 mind the fact that no mixture can be prescribed that will 

 fit every modification of circumstances, and that all proposed 

 mixtures must be taken only as general suggestions to be 

 modified by local conditions, and sometimes by the price of 

 the various seeds, we venture to recommend some mixtures 

 that will be found to be valuable to farmers, especially in the 

 corn and grass belts of the West. There are many farmers 

 whose great aim in growing clover is to increase the waning 

 fertility of their soil. They have not reached the point where 

 they are prepared to engage in what is called in a vague way, 

 * 'diversified farming." They have neither the capital nor 

 the experience that would justify them in engaging in stock 

 growing to any very great extent, and are depending upon 

 the sale of grain for shipment to the great markets, to lift the 

 mortgage on their land, usually given for purchase money. 

 This accomplished, they are ready to build barns, fences, 

 sheds, plant groves and sow a diversity of grasses and invest 

 an improved stock. To these we suggest the sowing of mam- 

 moth clover alone on every crop of spring grain. If this is 

 sown at the rate of twelve pounds per acre, and covered as 

 directed in Chapter III, it will, in all ordinary seasons, in a 

 clover country, make a stand that will furnish pasturage for 

 the limited stock on the farm during the fall months, or if 

 fenced in common with the corn fields, will make the corn 

 stalks (which are seldom used by this class of farmers except 

 for pasture), doubly valuable as a winter feed. The crop can 

 then be plowed under the next spring in time for corn. The 

 cost will not ordinarily be more than $1.00 or $1.25 per acre, 

 part of which will be covered by the fall pasturage, and the 

 rest by an increase of two bushels per acre in the corn crop. 

 Without definite experiments to guide us, and judging from 

 the returns of corn from clover roots that have been allowed 

 to mature a seed crop and then turned under, we should not 

 expect a smaller increase than from eight to ten bushels per 

 acre the next year. It is much better, however, after a stand 

 has once been secured, to allow the crop, after a reasonable 

 amount of fall pasturing, to stand another year, and then to 

 take a crop of seed the next season after pasturing it, where 

 it is practicable, into June and then fall-plow for corn the 

 next year. Our experience justifies us in estimating the 

 increase in the next corn crop at from fifteen to twenty-five 

 bushels per acre the first year, and not quite so much the sec- 

 ond. The soil will then be left in better condition as regards 



