1S58. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



481 



No man ever worked his passage any where in a 

 dead calm. Let no man wax pale, therefore, be- 

 cause of opposition ; opposition is what he wants 

 and must have to be good for anything. Hard- 

 ship is the native soil of manhood and self-reli- 

 ance. He that cannot abide the storm without 

 flinching or cjuailing, strips himself in the sun- 

 shine, and lies down by the wayside, to be over- 

 looked or forgotten. 



CLOVER. 



Clover has an importance to farmers which can 

 scarcely be over-estimated, and we fear it does 

 not receive sufficient consideration. As furnish- 

 ing a large amount of excellent pasture and fod- 

 der for domestic animals, and as a means of 

 keeping up the fertility of our farms when plowed 

 under, it deserves a prominent place in the sys- 

 tem of rotation adopted by those who follow 

 either a mixed or a grain-growing husbandry. 

 As a general rule every acre of winter grain 

 should be "seeded down," as it is termed, to clo- 

 ver in the spring, to remain for at least one, and 

 not more than three years, as a meadow or pas- 

 ture. 



The soil best adapted to the clover plant is 

 that of a somewhat clayey character — such as will 

 produce the best wheat crops. Any soil which 

 will grow wheat will also produce clover. A 

 deep, well-drained loam suits it well — on aH ill- 

 drained soils it suffers much from winter-killing, 

 especially if the spring prove one of little snow 

 and variable temperature. On light soils it needs 

 the assistance of manure to prove profitable. 



Clover is usually sown early in spring |upon 

 winter grains, and occasionally with oats and 

 barley. With the latter it generally does well, 

 especially if sown in good season. Upon wheat, 

 we sow in March, when the season is sufficiently 

 advanced to do so. While the light frosts con- 

 tinue, the slight cracking and heaving of the soil, 

 through their action, will generally furnish a suf- 

 ficient covering for the seed, though some recom- 

 mend sowing later and harrowing in, arguing 

 that this process not only covers the clover more 

 perfectly, but benefits the wheat crop. When 

 seeding with spring grains, it is usually sufficient 

 to pass over with the rollers, sowing the clover- 

 seed after the last harrowing. 



The benefit which clover derives from plaster 

 seems a "fixed fact in agriculture," not needing 

 special remark in this connection. Hence they 

 have become associated in the minds of jmost of 

 our farmers as partners in the product desired, 

 and the one usually accompanies the other. We 

 think, however, that the sowing of plaster upon 

 wheat fields seeded to clover is frequently de- 

 ferred too late. The clover needs its aid when it 

 first comes up, besides if sown late, the wheat is 

 injured by its causing too rank a growth of 

 straw at the time when the grain is forming. We 

 should sow plaster as early as April, if possible, 

 upon wheat, and upon spring gra'in seeding as 

 soon as it fairly appeared above ground. 



The amount of seed necessary for an acre de- 

 pends upon the character of the soil, but there 

 seems no disposition to seed too heavily. Loamy 

 soils need less than clayey, and the growth of 

 the crop with which it is seeded, whether large 

 or small, has considerable influence. A peck to 



to the acre is little enough — some use more, but 

 many less. It is poor economy to sow but half 

 enough to cover the surface — the pasturage and 

 hay are of much less value, and the saving of five 

 dollars in seed often entails a loss of five times 

 that amount in the product. 



There are many varieties of the clover plant, 

 but those most grown are the common red, or 

 Northern clover, of which we believe there are 

 two varieties — the large, or pea-vine clover, and 

 the medium — as it is called, perhaps, from its ly- 

 ing between that and the Southern or small va- 

 riety. The medium kind makes the best hay, 

 and is equally valuable as a green manure. 



We have already remarked upon the great val- 

 ue of clover for this latter purpose. Some of 

 the reasons why it is so may be thus briefly stat- 

 ed. Clover takes less from the soil and more 

 from the atmosphere, in proportion to the feed- 

 ing and manuring value of its product, than most 

 other plants. It has numerous roots, long, bulky 

 stalks, and abundant leaves, each supplying veg- 

 etable matter to the soil. A luxuriant growth 

 of clover is an excellent preparation for any and 

 every crop. Its far spreading roots loosen and 

 deepen the soil, and bring to their support and 

 to the surface the elements of fertility below the 

 reach of most other crops. This, too, is the rea- 

 son why clover delights in a deep, fresh soil, and 

 why, after subsoil plowing, it is so certain to suc- 

 ceed. 



Other considerations in regard to clover might 

 appropriately be presented, and may form the 

 subject of another article. — Rural New-Yorker. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 ABOUT LIGHTNING RODS. 



Mr. Editor : — In the July number of the Far- 

 mer I notice an article recommending Lyon's pa- 

 tent copper lightning conductor ; which article 

 also contains a statement of Professor Charles 

 Dewey, of Rochester, N. Y., to the effect that — 

 "It is agreed by philosophers that the conduction 

 of copper is from six to eight times that of iron, 

 and that in either metal the conduction is depen- 

 dent upon the surface, and not upon the solid 

 contents of the metal," &.c. 



Now the matter of lightning rods is of very 

 great consequence to the farming community, es- 

 pecially in this vicinity, where scarce a summer 

 passes but more or less valuable property falls a 

 prey to this subtle element. Yes, hundreds and 

 even thousands of dollars worth of property are 

 destroyed every summer in our own town. And 

 since this is the case, is it not of vast importance 

 that the community should be furnished with 

 definite knowledge as to the means of protecting 

 their buildings from the effects of lightning, both 

 as regards the best, and the cheapest way, and 

 not be left to choose between the conflicting 

 statements of a score of lightning-rod peddlers, 

 who are themselves as ignorant of the principles 

 of electricity as most farmers, to say the least. 



The principles that govern the electric element 

 are well established, and hence may be known by 

 every one who will take the pains to inform him- 

 self. In Franklin's time a good substantial iron 

 rod, fastened to the building with saddles of wood 

 instead of glass fixings, such as any man might put 



