563 
1903 
THE RURAi. NEW-YORKER. 
CLOVER IN OSWEGO COUNTY, N. Y. 
Above everything we read or hear about clover 
seeding the one point that seems to stand out very 
prominently is that the seed must be sown in Spring. 
That there are decided exceptions to this rule has 
been amply proven on Elmhurst Farm, although at 
first accidentally in this way: Several years ago, 
after picking, we plowed one of our strawberry beds, 
intending sowing it with millet for feeding. We or¬ 
dered the millet seed from a dealer in town, which 
seed was delivered to us, and was sown by one of the 
men while I was attending to other matters. This 
was sown on July 29. When it came up, which was 
very quickly, we noticed the seed leaves were round 
instead of long, like millet, and for a short time there 
was much speculation as to what we had, but soon de¬ 
cided that we had a very well-developed case of pure 
Alfalfa. As the.seed had only cost 90 cents per bushel 
(millet price), we had no cause for complaint. By No¬ 
vember it had grown to be 18 inches high with one 
clipping, and very thick; some of the roots were the 
size of a lead pencil. The next season three large 
cuttings were made, averaging 30 inches high, and ex¬ 
tremely thick. It was then plowed under in October 
for strawberries, many of the roots at but 15 months 
from sowing being over one-half inch in diameter and 
30 inches long. Since that time we have seeded a 
number of fields during July, August and early Sep¬ 
tember after strawberries, peas, etc., with best results. 
The field illustrated in Fig. 212 was an old straw¬ 
berry bed, sown during the first week in August with 
2.') pounds Alfalfa, four pounds Alsike and five pounds 
small Red clover per acre. The object of sowing the 
three kinds was that we w^ere somewhat fearful there 
clovers, particularly Alfalfa, and failed, seemed some¬ 
what inclined .to consider my statements as bordering 
on the fishy order. I am now glad to prove my point. 
In my institute work I have tried never to make a 
statement that I could not amply substantiate, or to 
talk about what I had not already practiced. 
The essentials of clover growing seem to be a rich, 
well-drained soil, well plowed, carefully fined down 
(like an onion bed is none too good), good seed and 
plenty of it, covered lightly and rolled hard. With us 
a light spongy soil is no good. The seed starts well, 
but soon dies down, while on heavy, hard-packed land 
it grows like weeds. The land must be free from 
weeds, as Alfalfa seems to be a tender baby on the 
start, however lusty it may be in after years. 
New York. f. g. tice. 
MANUFACTURERS TALK ABOUT PLOWS. 
What the Trade Demands. 
The Southern States use principally one-horse 
plows. The hill country uses generally hillside plows. 
Few of the reversible plows are used on level land, 
because the farmer can plow without leaving dead 
furrows. Sulky plows are like vehicles, more for com¬ 
fort than practical utility, with the exception pos¬ 
sibly of being able to plow dry, hard ground when it 
cannot be plowed with a hand plow. In the Central 
West and Northwest, gang plows, two, and in some 
few instances, three-furrow plows, are used most gen¬ 
erally, and are in constant demand. The hand plow 
is scarcely used in those territories, excepting for 
trucking. California and the large ranch grain-grow¬ 
ing districts want plows attached to traction engines; 
they have attached some of our gang plows, but they 
plow less than 12 inches in width, and those are used 
with two horses. We sell a great many plows for use 
with three and four horses also. There seems to be 
no diminishment in the riding plow trade, and this 
year we have sold an unusual amount of walking 
plows. 
Quincy, Ill. 
Seventy-five per cent of all the plows we sell are 
sulky or gang plows, and the gang trade is increasing 
very fast. Taking Illinois as an example, five years 
ago we sold six sulkies to one gang, and now we are 
selling two gangs to one sulky. In Iowa, Minnesota 
and the two Dakotas there are scarcely any walking 
plows sold. EA CEOSSE PLOW COMPAIXY. 
La Crosse, Wis. 
There is a heavy demand for small, one-horse 
plows, which go principally to the Southern States. 
The call for hillside plows is constantly increasing in 
sections adapted for their use, and we have all we can 
do to fill our orders. Sulky and gang plows are also 
in great demand, and our ti-ade on them this year has 
been so heavy that we have been unable to supply all 
that have been called for. 
South Bend. Ind. Oliver chilled plow works. 
The one--horse plow is not used as a rule in the 
West to any extent. The three-horse plow, cutting 
14 to 16 inches, is almost entirely used in the great 
Western States. We understand that the small plow 
is used in the South, where they continue to plow 
with one horse, but this is rarely seen on our western 
farms. Of course the small plow, as you will under¬ 
stand, is used to a limited extent for gardening pur¬ 
poses. We make very few of them; not enough ic 
mention. The reversible plow is not used to any ex- 
A CLOVER FIELD IN OSWEGO COUNTY, N. 
Y., SEEDED IN AUGUST TO ALFALFA, 
ALSIKE AND RED CLOVER. 
Fig. 212. 
might be places where some one of the kinds might 
fail for lack of suitable soil conditions for that par¬ 
ticular variety, while another kind might succeed 
finely, and such proved to be the case to a limited ex¬ 
tent. This picture was taken after the 52 days’ 
drought, worst evev known here, and after the cocks 
had settled several days, which shows them much 
smaller than at first. The land was most carefully 
prepared, being thoroughly fined down with Cutaway 
and Meeker harrows. The seed was broadcast with a 
Cahoon seeder. We divided the seed and sowed the 
field twice over, the second sowing at right angles 
with the first, thus insuring a perfect distribution of 
seed. A weeder was used to cover the seed, and the 
land thoroughly rolled twice. We believe the ground 
cannot he fined and compacted too much. It does not 
seem to do well with uis in loose land. From present 
indications we think it a good way to use all three 
varieties of clover, as they seem to grow well together 
and make a greater bulk than if used alone. Alfalfa 
in the second crop is now taking the lead, but the 
other two are filling up the bottom. By using this 
method one is quite sure to have some kind of clover 
growing on every inch of his plot, at least that is the 
way here. One of the finest blocks of Alfalfa we ever 
had was sown in September with about half a bushel 
of millet seed to the acre. The millet was intended as 
a shelter to the Alfalfa plants during the Winter. We 
notice that these plants, although not clipped, were 
entirely free from rust, and were much larger and 
finer than those sown a full month before. They also 
came through the Winter in much better shape. Dur¬ 
ing the past Winter, while traveling in the institute 
work, in several places I gave my experience in clover 
growing, substantially as here described. I fear that 
some of my hearers and others who had tried the 
cannot sow and reap all they plow, hence they want 
to plow as many acres in a day during the season of 
plowing as possible. The disk plow is coming into 
use in dry, hard land. It is a sulky plow, made in one, 
two and three-furrow, and also made to attach to 
traction engines. Its use, however, is chiefly confined 
to dry, hard land, not so desirable for sod, Timothy, 
clover or Alfalfa, because it will not turn the sod upside 
down as a farmer can with a hand plow. Demand for 
plows varies in the years, more or less acres are 
plowed with one kind of crop than another. But there 
is a constant increase in demand, because there are 
more acres being plowed each year. As the people 
multiply, they must be fed, and the farmer must plow 
and sow; if he reaps not, then plow again. The 
writer speculates that within a period of 25 years, 
with the increased population of the world, farming 
will become one of the most profitable and prosperous 
businesses in the world. 
Canton, O. bucher & gibhs plow co. 
There is a growing demand for the steel beam 
series of flat land plows for general purposes. This 
style of plow is supplementing to quite an extent the 
cast-iron and wooden-beam plow. There is also an 
increased demand for the reversible plows for flat land 
as well as side hills. There is a considerable demand 
for one-horse plows for vineyard use, this style being 
used mostly along the lakes, in berry and grape¬ 
growing sections. There does not seem to be much 
of an increase in the demand for sulky or riding 
plows; although they are used to some extent 
throughout this part of the country, they are used 
chiefly in the Western States. le roy plow co. 
Le Roy, N. Y. 
We do not have much demand In the. West for one- 
horse plows. It is seldom that anyone demands a 
tent in the West, for there is but little steep hillside 
plowing done. The sulky plow, which includes the 
single, double and treble bottom plow, is very laigely 
used, and has been for many years. In fact, the bulk 
of the plowing of the Western States is done with 
these wheel plows. Just at present there is much de¬ 
mand for the disk plow, and in some cases it is lessen¬ 
ing the sale of the moldboard plow to a large extent. 
Whether this will be permanent remains to be seen. 
The evolution of the riding plow has been remarkable. 
When it was about perfected, the disk plow comes to 
contend for the fields. The disk plow had its origin 
in Texas, where there is a sticky soil, which could 
not be turned with the moldboard plow satisfactorily, 
and the disk plow is now trying to force itself into 
the Western States, but, as we say above, it is a great 
question with us whether it will supplant the com¬ 
fort, convenience and easy handling of the wheel plow. 
Pekin, Ill. peko plow co. 
The chilled plows still continue popular in many 
sections, from their exceptionally good working quali¬ 
ties in gravelly or hard soils, as well as the low prices 
for which they are sold. Steel beams for this class, 
as well as in the higher grades, continue to increase 
in demand on account of the greater durability, as well 
as from the neatness of their appearance. Plows of 
medium capacity for two horses command the larger 
sale, although there is still a good demand for one- 
horse plows, this demand coming largely from the 
Southern States. The demand in the home market is 
mostly for single sulkies, but the western trade calls 
for two-furrow and larger sizes of gang plows. The 
smallness of the farms, together with the absence of 
sufiScient teams, preclude the more general adoption 
of the gang plow among eastern farmers, although 
the advantage gained in the greater saving of labor 
by pursuing this method is marked. It is still oui 
experience that the farmer on the average farm does 
not take kindly to the use of the riding plows, al¬ 
though later constructions show many improvements 
over the old styles. Yet the demand for this kind of 
plow does not increase as rapidly as would be thought 
probable from the advantage* gained in Its use. 
Syracuse, N. Y. stkacuse chilled plow oo. 
