282 Transactions of the American Institute. 



CLOVER. 



Mr. Charles W. Viuens, Jeifersou county, Illinois. — I have a 

 thirty-acre field of laud, which has been shamefully skinned by 

 former owners, who raised corn more than twenty years. I am 

 desirous to make the land as fertile as possible. A year ago I 

 sowed two bushels of clover seed on fourteen acres of oats and 

 wheat; however, there was a good stand on only a few acres, which 

 had been manured. Last winter I again bought two bushels of 

 clover seed with the intention of sowing it last spring by itself, but 

 the frequent rainy weather prevented. Seed being high, costing 

 nearly ten dollars a bushel, I wish to raise in future my own seed, 

 that I may always have a plenty to scatter over the whole farm. 

 This fall I intend to put all the manure I can scrape together on 

 six or eight acres, and make the land ready for sowing. Which is 

 the best time to sow clover seed by itself, and how much to the 

 acre ? Which is the best time to sow gypsum on clover, and also 

 on wheat, and how much to the acre ? Is raising clover seed for 

 sale a profitable crop, and how much will an acre yield ? Is it 

 necessary to repeat the sowing of gypsum on clover or wheat every 

 year ? If gypsum cannot easily be procured, will lime answer as 

 well ? I learned by sad experience that western farmers must rely 

 on clover to make and keep their land productive; for stable 

 manure is not here in sufficient quantity, as horses and cattle are 

 not usually kept up. Besides, as Mr. Kobinson says, clover is the 

 cheapest manure. Lightly to manure one acre with stable manure 

 cost me at least four dollars for a hired hand, not counting the use 

 of the team. With clover I can do it cheaper, and I think better, 

 too. There are, alas, too many fai-mers who kill land, beasts, and 

 even man, by overwork. In my eyes, one is as wicked and abomi 

 nable as the other. 



Mr. N. C. Meeker. — Clover seed is to be sowed by itself as early 

 in the spring as the ground can be put in good order. We should 

 say that two bushels to fourteen acres is very heavy seeding, and 

 as much again as would be required on good land. Six or eight 

 bushels of plaster to the acre will be as good as a hundred, and it 

 will last four or five years. It should be applied early in the 

 spring, and if possible on a wet day, certainly before the spring 

 rains. This is important. Lime cannot have the same efiect. In 

 Pennsylvania, plaster is used in connection with lime. Where the 

 land is rich, plaster will do little good. We have never raised 

 clover seed for market, and would like to receive an account from 



