26 



BULLETIN OF 



Massachusetts Board of Agricultuee. 



CLOVERS : THEIR VALUE, CHARACTERISTICS OF VARIETIES 

 AND METHODS OF PRODUCTION. 



Cy Prof. Wm. p. Bkooks, Professor of Agriculture, Massachusetts Agricultural 



College. 



Most farmers who keep stock appreciate the fact that the clovers are 

 among the most valuable of all the forage crops that can be produced 

 in Massachusetts. The reasons why the clovers are so important are not 

 always clearly understood. In this article the writer will attempt to 

 make these reasons clear. Not infrequently, in personal inter^^ews or 

 by letter, the writer's attention is called to the fact that in some lo- 

 calities farmers are meeting with poor success in their efforts to produce 

 this valuable class of forage crops. The reasons for comparative failure 

 in efforts to produce clover doubtless vary in different localities, and it 

 may not be possible iqr one unfamiliar with conditions to give direc- 

 tions which will always lead to success. Certain conditions, however, 

 which are well established, must be provided, or failure will be the 

 result. An eiTort will be made to make a clear statement as to what 

 these conditions are, for it is in many cases at least true that compara- 

 tive failure in the effort to produce clovers is due to a failure to observe 

 some one or more of these conditions. 



Reasons why Clovers are Especially Valuable on the Farm. 



It is the writer's opinion that on farms where stock is kept it w411 

 usually not be profitable to use clovers as green manures. They can 

 be better utilized on such farms by cutting and feeding to stock, or by 

 pasturing. On the other hand, where but little stock is kept, and 

 especially where the production of apples, peaches or other tree fruits 

 is an important part of the farm business, the clovers are among the 

 most valuable crops which can be used for cover, to supply humus, and 

 to enrich the soils in nitrogen. It is now generally understood that 

 under right conditions clovers are capable of taking the nitrogen which 

 they need from the air. In this respect the clovers and the other plants 

 of the clover family are superior to any other crops which can be used 

 for similar purposes. It is, then, this single fact, that the clovers can 

 take the nitrogen they need from the air while crops of other families 

 cannot do this, which renders them so much more valuable than most 

 other crops for cover and green manuring. It is the purpose of this 



