10 



Cultivation of the Grasses and 



had "two strings to his bow," and the sug- 

 gestion was unnoticed. 



The December number, 1874, of that excel- 

 lent agricultural journal, the Rural Carolinian, 

 contains a suggestive article from Mr A. B. 

 Hose, of Charleston. That gentleman details 

 an experiment, in which he turned under a 

 crop of this native vetch, and with the aid of 

 some lime, and the result on four and a half 

 acres was the production of forty-five bushels 

 of corn to the acre. 



The use of this native vetch as a fertilizer 

 is well worthy of consideration and examina- 

 tion in those parts of the South in which the 

 soil is too sandy for the successful growth of 

 red clover. 



There is a perennial vetchling, somewhat 

 larger than what is called the partridge pea, 

 which is native in all parts of this State, and 

 which might be made useful by cultivation. 

 This variety grows wild in the woods, and is 

 green all winter. Live stock are very fond of 

 it, and eat it out where they can reach it. Its 

 being perennial is greatly in its favor. 



RIBWORT, OR NARROW-LEAVED PLANTAIN. 



The seed of this plant is frequently intro- 

 "duced with clover seed. On ordinary uplands 

 it is of little use, except that it is green during 

 the winter, and gives a moderate bite to sheep, 

 which are very fond of it at that season. On 

 rich upland or moist bottom land, it grows 

 quite high enough among the grass to be cut 

 for hay. In Lombardy it is an essential con- 

 stituent of their best meadows. The narrow 

 leaved should be distinguished from the broad 

 leaved plantain, which is worthless. 



THE OAT AS A FORAGE PLANT. 



No more valuable winter forage for horses' 

 cattle, and sheep, can be found than oats cu*" 

 just before the straw begins to turn. The seed 

 will mature, and the straw cut in this state is 

 equal to good hay. Horses will do moderate 

 work upon oats in this state without other 

 food. The oats should be cut with a mowing 

 blade, and cured as hay. They should, of 

 course, be cut up with a cutting-knife before 

 feeding. 



The objection to all these annuals as forage 

 plants is quite serious. It is a tax to be com- 

 pelled to repeat the same process every year, 

 when there are plants equally valuable which 

 last for a term of years. Rather than pull 

 fodder, any one of them should be used, but 

 only until permanent meadows and pastures 

 are laid down. 



RED CLOVER. 



In the variety of its uses this is the most 

 valuable herbaceous plant to the Southern 

 farmer. Lucerne is superior to it in the quan- 

 tity and quality of its hay. But, then, lucerne 

 cannot be grazed, nor can it form a part of an 

 ameliorating rotation of crops, and will not 



thrive ex|pj^>t upon land in the highest tilth 

 and of extreme fertility. Red clover, on the 

 other hand, bears grazing admirably, is an 

 ameliorating crop ; makes excellent hay and 

 in large quantity, and thrives on land of mod- 

 erate fertility, such as will produce remunera- 

 tive crops of wheat or corn. 



The doubts as to whether red clover would 

 succeed at the South have been dispelled. 

 There have been fine clover fields from Hutch- 

 inson's Island, opposite Savannah, in the mid- 

 dle country, and among the mountains. In no 

 part of this State, or any other of the South- 

 ern States, has it finally failed after intelligent 

 and persistent trial upon proper soil. A 

 farmer may have sowed clover and failed. 

 Perhaps he may also have sowed wheat, or 

 planted cotton or corn, and failed. But this 

 does not deter him from sowing or planting 

 again. He knows that he must have made a 

 mistake, or the seasons may have been against 

 him. These failures in clover may be attri- 

 buted to bad seed, or too deep covering, or to 

 unsuitable soil, or to a very hot and dry sea- 

 son. 



This plant is of so great importance to us, 

 that these causes of failure should be carefully 

 investigated and corrected by a different prac- 

 tice in the future. One, or several failures, 

 should not discourage us in a new and impor- 

 tant culture. Many persons have succeeded 

 in growing clover in all the different sections 

 of the South. Why not all succeed who have 

 suitable soil ? 



What is a suitable clover soil ? It must 

 contain a large percentage of clay. Our ex- 

 tremely sandy lands on or near the coast will 

 not grow clover successfully. Among them 

 the pea must be the substitute for clover ; and 

 an excellent substitute it is, with the exception 

 that it is an annual, and requires some culti- 

 vation. The native vetch may also prove 

 useful. 



But where the surface is sandy and the sub- 

 soil clay, the clay may be brought to the sur- 

 face and manured ; clover will then thrive 

 upon it. Generally a good wheat soil, and 

 every farmer knows what that is, is a good 

 clover soil. The richer the soil, the more 

 rankly will the clover grow. It is time thrown 

 away to sow clover seed on land that will not 

 bring ten or fifteen bushels of wheat to the 

 acre, or its equivalent in othr grains. 



The subsoil for clover muft be dry. It will 

 not thrive on wet lands. But it does thrive 

 on bottom lands thoroughly drained. Hence 

 it has always been the opinion of the writer, 

 that the rice lands on our coast would yield 

 magnificent crops of clover, and be more 

 profitable, all things considered, than rice. 



A gallon of clover seed is sufficient for an 

 acre, or a bushel to eight acres. The seed 

 should be lightly covered with a brush or 

 roller, and not with a plough. 



The ground for clover should be ploughed as 



