FIFTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 151 



in our lighter soil, where the water can get in and penetrate, 

 so that it is later in the life and growth of the crimson clover 

 before the nitrogen is there, while on our light soils, where 

 the bacteria can get to work early in the season, we have 95 

 per cent, of all the fertilizing value of that crimson clover 

 when it is six inches high. I saw somewhere that the Delaware 

 fruit exchange had advertised crimson clover seed all over 

 the United States, and I sold some of it here in Connecticut, 

 but to-day I am buying my own crmson clover seed, so I 

 am not blowing my own horn. 



A ^Member: I tried crimson clover here in Connecticut, and 

 it was a failure. 



Mr. Derby : That might occur and the season might not 

 be favorable, or the seed might not be good, but any farmer 

 that sows any seed and does not prepare the soil properly before 

 he sows it, deserves to have a failure. The bacteria must 

 be in that soil before any clover plant will thrive on it, and 

 you must get it there some way. 



Prof. Clinton : I consider that for our Connecticut soil rye 

 is one of our best cover crops, especially for our hill land, and 

 next to that I will place the mammoth red clover. Now the 

 crimson clover grows splendidly in the valley, but I like 

 something that will start growing early in the spring. When 

 spring comes the crimson clover that is alive will begin growing, 

 if we have had a favorable winter, but when we have winters 

 like the last two, it is a failure, but almost any winter we have 

 the mammoth clover will be alive, and will start growing early 

 in the spring, and it grows just as rapidly as the crimson 

 clover, and will do every work that the crimson will do ; 

 but don't be discouraged, and don't let anyone tell you that 

 rye is not a good cover crop for our New England hills, for it 

 is a splendid cover crop. 



Mr. Hale: Our good friend no doubt talks what he 

 means, and means what he talks, but he doesn't know what he 

 is talking about; at least so far as Connecticut orchards are 

 concerned. Don't you listen to any man that tells you to plant 

 rye in an orchard, because it will stay too long in the spring, 

 and your ground will have its moisture pumped out. The ob- 

 jection that is made to crimson clover in Connecticut is a 



