CROPPING SYSTEMS — WASHINGTON, OREGON, IDAHO. 7 



Table VI. — Results of seeding clover with a nurse crop in that portion of eastern Wash- 

 ington, eastern Oregon, and northern Idaho having an annual precipitation of 20 inches 



Nurse crop. 



Number 

 of trials. 



Acres 

 tried. 



Acres 

 success. 



Per cent 

 success. 





17 

 18 

 33 

 32 



141 

 294 



388 

 684 



107 

 284 

 348 

 669 



75.9 





96.5 





89.7 





97.8 







Total 



100 



1,507 



1,408 



93.4 







It will be seen from Table VI that the number of trials and the 

 total number of acres seeded to clover were sufficient for drawing 

 definite conclusions. The trials covered a period of 11 years (from 

 1904 to 1916, inclusive, with no trials in 1905 or 1908), which is a 

 sufficient length of time to eliminate the question of variation in 

 climatic conditions from season to season. In the 100 trials reported 

 there were 1,507 acres of clover seeded, with four different nurse 

 crops. A good stand was obtained on 1,408 acres, or 93.4 per cent 

 of the area seeded. Barley proved to be the best nurse crop, as a 

 good stand of clover was secured on 97.8 per cent of the area seeded 

 in barley as compared with 96.6 per cent of the area seeded in spring 

 wheat, 89.7 per cent of the area seeded in oats, and 75.9 per cent of 

 the area seeded in winter wheat. The high percentage of failure when 

 clover was seeded in the spring with winter wheat is attributable 

 to the fact that the wheat was too far advanced when the clover was 

 sown. Very good results, however, have been obtained when the 

 clover was sown in the very early spring before the wheat plants 

 began growing. 



When clover is to be seeded in the spring with winter wheat, from 

 8 to 10 pounds of seed per acre is sown and harrowed in before the 

 grain starts growing. If the nurse crop is to be spring grain, the 

 ground should be plowed in the fall or very early spring and worked 

 into a mellow, shallow seed bed 2 or 3 inches in depth. It is very 

 important that the subsurface below this depth be quite firm. From 

 8 to 10 pounds of clover seed per acre may be sown broadcast by 

 hand or with a wheelbarrow grass seeder after the nurse crop has 

 been seeded. The usual method, however, is to sow the grain and 

 clover at one operation, using a grain drill having a grass-seed at- 

 tachment. The clover seed should not be run into the grain tubes 

 of the drill, as the seed are liable to be planted to such a depth that 

 the plants will not reach the surface of the ground. The depth of 

 planting should never be greater than H inches. The drag harrow 

 should be run immediately behind the drill. In case the ground is 

 very loose a corrugated roller may be used to advantage in securing 

 a stand of clover. 



