Fertilizers 



Clover requires a rich soil, in other words the soil must contain a 

 sufficient amount of organic matter carrying nitrogen to give the roots 

 a start until they have attained a sufficient size to absorb nitrogen from 

 the air to supply its needs. It is a mistake to think that clover can be 

 started successfully in soil not containing nitrogen and organic matter. 

 Clover also requires phosphoric acid and potash. Most soils contain 

 large quantities of potash which can easily be made available by 

 applying a little lime. Phosphoric acid can be supplied by using barn- 

 yard manure. If manure cannot be secured, it will then be necessary 

 to supply acid phosphate or raw rock phosphate. If the raw rock 

 phosphate is used it must be either plowed under with a heavy green 

 crop or in a manure compost, otherwise it will be of no benefit. 



Winter-Killing 



Top dressing clover with barnyard manure or straw is a safeguard 

 against winter-killing. The manure should be evenly applied with a 

 manure spreader. If spread with a hand fork, unless great care is 

 taken, many places will not be covered and others will receive too much, 

 which, if not removed early in the spring, will cause the plants to die 

 from smothering. The dressing not only protects the plant, but fur- 

 nishes a rich mulch which is beneficial in many ways. Straw does 

 nearly as well as manure. If, however, a great amount is put on, it may 

 be necessary to run a rake over in the spring for the purpose of 

 removing the larger bunches which, like manure, might, if very com- 

 pact injure the growing plants. 



Seeding 



The time to seed depends upon the locality. In the clover states 

 it is customary to sow in the spring with a nurse crop. Winter wheat 

 and other grains sown in the fall should be seeded early in the spring. 

 Sometimes it is advisable to run over the field with a peg tooth harrow 

 with the teeth set slanting before the clover is sown. If the ground 

 is not too wet, a corrugated roller following the seeding, not only packs 

 the dirt around the roots of the grain, but covers the clover or presses 

 it into the soil where it germinates quickly. As a rule it is not advisable 

 to sow clover on spring plowing because of its extreme looseness. It 

 can be done safely, however, if the ground is made compact and rolled 

 with a heavy roller after the seed has been sown. The writer has 

 secured a splendid catch by using the roller on the grain after it was 

 sown, then distributing the clover seed and subsequently harrowing 

 it very lightly. 



On lands that are somewhat depleted, or in other words, do not 

 contain a sufficient amount of active fertility to support "both a grain 



