1907. 
573 
CAUSES OF “CLOVER SICKNESS/* 
AIsike Clover is Different. 
There are several entirely different 
causes for clover failure, and undoubted¬ 
ly one of these is clover sickness, that 
is, some disease, or diseases, which attack 
the clover and cause greater or less dam¬ 
age to the crop. 
The evidence thus far secured at the 
Illinois Experiment Station and reported 
from other sources, more especially by 
the Tennessee Experiment Station, in¬ 
dicates that this sickness, or disease, is 
due to a fungus parasite. More complete 
information is being secured relating to 
this subject. The investigations of Bol- 
ley of the North Dakota Station, concern¬ 
ing flax sickness produced by a parasitic 
fungus furnish valuable information ap¬ 
parently very closely related to the sub¬ 
ject of clover sickness. That several 
other legume plants are subject to similar 
diseases is also quite apparent. Thus, we 
have cow-pea wilt and pea-sick soils and 
also bean-sick soils. Unquestionably 
clover failure is frequently due to soil 
acidity. Indeed, we have in Illinois some 
very extensive soil areas which not only 
refuse at the present time to grow clover, 
but which, as a matter of fact, never 
have grown clover successfully. On other 
soils clover fails because it is deficient 
in phosphorus, while on still other soils, 
particularly soils of a more sandy char¬ 
acter or soils very deficient in humus, 
clover failure is apparently due to lack 
of available potassium. There are soils, 
furthermore, whose physical condition is 
such that clover can be grown only with 
great difficulty, and on which failure is 
the rule. Such, for example, are the very 
sandy soils which dry out so quickly 
that the delicate young clover plant can¬ 
not secure a foothold sufficient to enable 
it to stand long enough to become well 
established. Such soils can be markedly 
improved by a liberal use of farm manure 
or green manures, which will increase the 
absorbent and water-holding power of the 
soils. Of course, if soils are deficient in 
lime or in phosphorus or in available po¬ 
tassium, the remedy lies in the applica¬ 
tion of the proper material, but, if the 
soil is truly clover sick, then the only 
known remedy is to discontinue sowing 
clover upon the land for six or eight 
years. 
From the information thus far obtained, 
the indications are that the fungus disease 
that is peculiar to Red clover does not at¬ 
tack Alsike clover, Alfalfa, Sweet clover, 
vetch, cow peas, Soy beans, or other 
markedly different legume plants, al¬ 
though it is probable that the same dis¬ 
ease will attack common Red clover and 
Mammoth Red clover. If one is practic¬ 
ing a four-year rotation, such as corn, 
oats, wheat and clover, I would suggest 
that Alsike clover might well be substi¬ 
tuted for Red clover every third course. 
In other words, if Red clover is seeded in 
1904 and 1908, then Alsike clover might 
be seeded in 1912, Red clover being seeded 
again in 1916 and 1920. Care should be 
taken that the Red clover is kept free 
from Alsike, and, of course, that the Al¬ 
sike is kept free from Red clover, be¬ 
cause a mixture of the two kinds of 
clover would undoubtedly lead to clover 
sickness being present in the soil for both 
clovers at the same time. 
CYRIL G. HOPKINS. 
University of Illinois. 
Late Seeding for Clover. 
I have about concluded that it is all 
wrong to expect a stand of clover from 
early Spring seeding in grain, nowadays. 
We are following in the footsteps of our 
forefathers, and have not changed or 
adapted our plans to present conditions. 
I believe that “clover-sick” soil is but 
another name for soil lacking in humus. 
Just as with Alfalfa, I believe that humus 
supplies the best conditions for the clover 
bacteria to work in. Humus existed in 
abundance in the time of our fathers, and 
gave them every advantage over us. As 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
it is lacking now let us either supply it 
or change our method of sowing. It long 
ago struck me as absurd to sow our most 
expensive seed in February and March, 
leaving to chance its germination and 
survival of freezing weather. I now sow 
in April, and always with excellent results 
as to germination, but with a crop failure 
about every third or fourth year. These 
failures are not because of “clover-sick” 
soil, but because in harvesting the grain 
I change the habitat of the clover plant, 
instantly, from dense shade to fierce light ; 
from moist shaded earth to bare ground 
that bakes immediately. The environ¬ 
ment and conditions are changed, in- 
stanter, and yet we expect the tender 
young plant to thrive. This season I 
purpose sowing a considerable acreage 
after the wheat is off the ground. I 
shall disk the stubble thoroughly and re¬ 
peatedly and sow about August 15. I 
believe that plants started and grown 
under the then existing conditions will 
have a far better chance than the early 
Spring seeding sown in standing grain. 
May I have your opinion on this plan? 
Incidentally, I have never known a fail¬ 
ure where clover was sown in the Spring 
without a nurse crop. falicon. 
Missouri. _ 
REMEMBER WADSWORTH. 
The following members of the New 
York Senate voted against Governor 
Hughes in his efforts to remove the Su¬ 
perintendent of Insurance. They repre¬ 
sent agricultural counties, where farmers 
are in a majority. Every one of them 
merits defeat, and should be plowed un¬ 
der by the votes of farmers. Send them 
to the political graveyard at the first op¬ 
portunity : 
JOTHAM P. ALLDS, .... Norwich, N. Y. 
ALBERT T. FANCHER, . . Salamanca, N. Y. 
S. P. FRANCHOT, . . . Niagara Falls, N. Y. 
S. PERCY HOOKER.LeRoy, N. Y. 
JOHN RAINES.Canandaigua, N. Y. 
SANFORD W. SMITH, . . . Chatham, N. Y. 
WM. J. TULLY,.Corning, N. Y. 
HORACE WHITE,.Syracuse, N. Y. 
BENJ. M. WILCOX, .' . . . Auburn, N. Y. 
JOSEPH ACKROYD.Utica, N. Y. 
FRANK M. BOYCE, . . East Schodack, N. Y. 
Vitality of Crimson Clover Seed. 
Reader, Delaware .—I have some seed of 
Crimson clover of the crop of T905. It has 
been kept in dry stacks in a dry place. Can it 
be guaranteed as suitable seed? 
Ans. —On account of the thin seed coat 
of Crimson clover this seed retains its 
vitality for a much shorter time than any 
of the other cultivated clovers. On ac¬ 
count of the season of planting, however, 
practically all the seed which is sown is 
at least one year old at the time of sow¬ 
ing. It depends almost entirely on the 
conditions of storage and the locality in 
which the seed is kept as to the way in 
which it retains its vitality. As a usual 
thing it is not advisable to use seed more 
than one year old, but with Crimon clover 
it is especially important to have a ger¬ 
mination test made before sowing to be 
sure of the quality of the seed. This is 
one of the quickest seeds to germinate, 
germination taking place in about two 
days. The discoloring of the seed, that 
is, the changing from the yellowish olive 
green of fresh seed to the brown, and fin¬ 
ally to chocolate color, is the best outward 
indication of poor germination. This 
laboratory, Department of Agriculture, 
Washington, D. C., will, of course, be 
glad to make tests for germination for 
anyone in accordance with circular sup¬ 
plied. E. BROWN. 
Botanist in Charge of Seed Testing. 
Mr. Nuspltced: “But, dearest, I really 
don’t believe that this is a Spring chicken 
we’re eating.” Mrs. N.: “Why. I’m sure 
it is! The butcher told me himself that 
it was killed last Spring.”—Chicago Daily 
News. 
For the land’s sake use Bowker’s Fer¬ 
tilizers.—They enrich the earth.— Adv. 
Is the Gateway to Big Grain Crops 
Grain can’t grow without food. It must get it from the soil. It is for the 
farmer to see that his soil has enough of the right kind of plant-food necessary to 
the kind of crops he grows. 
The fertilizer for Wheat, Rye and Barley should contain at least 6 % Potash. 
Rather than risk an under-supply, mix Muriate or Sulphate of Potash liberally 
with the fertilizer before applying. 
Send for our free books on growing grain. They won’t give you theories, 
but facts on how the right use of Potash has turned poor soil into good soil, 
and made good soil better soil. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS. 93 Nassau Street, New York 
Monadnock Building. Chicago Candler Building, Atlanta. Ga. 
Address office nearest you. 
Farmers Sit Up and Take Notice. 
Barre, Vt., Sept. 1, ’00 
THE ROGERS Sc IIUBBARI) UO. 
Middletown, Conn., 
Gentlemen Your letter 
of Aug. 27th. received, and 
in roply would say that you 
may rest assured of my ab¬ 
solute peace of mind, both 
in regard to tho goods you 
send me and the courteous 
treatment I have invariably 
received from your office. 
I am getting such results 
from the Hubbard Fertili¬ 
zers that tlie farmers who 
died with their Grandfa¬ 
thers sit up and tako notice. 
Very truly yours. 
a. w. a u.r.v. 
I 
At no time will you be more in need of a depend¬ 
able, enriching, never-failing fertilizer than during 
this cold, backward spring of planting. 
No other fertilizers enrich the soil and mature the 
crops like Hubbard’s. 
Send for 1907 Almcmac cmd prices. 
THE ROGERS & HUBBARD CO. 
Fertilizer Manufacturers 
Middletown - - Ccnn. 
Climax Ensilage Cutter 
Simplest, cheapest and most perfect working of all ensilage 
machines. Cuts and elevates at one operation, with no litter 
or waste. No other style of cutter compares with the 
Inward Shearing Cut 
of knives and the Climax is the only cutter that has 
it.o Don’t be caught by bare claims of superiority 
without proof. Read the record of the Fair and 
other Competitive Tests. We are always anxious to 
let the Climax work side by side with any other machine, 
the buyer to take the best. It you want to bo sure of the best, ask 
for the competitive test. Send for free catalog. 
WARSAW-WILK1NSON CO., 50 Highland Ave., Warsaw, N. Y. . 
The Complete 
Machine 
_Cuts and Elevates 
7 to 25 Tons an Hour 
Old Time Honesty 
If you want a heavy¬ 
weight, substantial fence, 
buy and erect the 
FROST WIRE FENCE 
Will last a lifetime, because every 
yard of it Is fnll of ola-time honesty. 
We pay freight. Catalogue free. 
THE FROST WIRE FENCE CO., Cleveland. Ohio. 
.Drake^k Co.,90We»t8t.,New York, N.Y, 
HEAVIEST FENCE MADE) 
^All No. 9 Steel Wire* Well galvanized. Weighs 
* 'i more than most fences. 15 to 85c per rod j 
lelivered. We send free Afimple for inspec-^ 
L.tion and tost. Write for fence book of 133 
^styles. The Brown Fence Wire 
Co., Cleveland, Ohio. 
CRIMSON CLOVER 
The great soil improver. Valuable 
also for early green food, grazing and 
hay crop. Special circular free; also 
sample and price of seed on reauest. 
HENRY A. DREER, 
714 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 
VERMONT” 
In time of need “ The Vermont” Gasoline Engines 
are always ready. They need no adjustment. 3 to 
16 horse power, mounted or stationary, for farm, 
factory and shop use. Write for catalogue E.G., 
describing the most reliable engine made. 
STODDARD MANUFACTURING GO., Rutland, Vt. 
We have a few new Fairbanks Engines 
at a bargain. Ask for description. 
NEW YORK STATE FAIR, 
SYRACUSE, SEPTEMBER 9-14, 1907. 
$65,000 IN PURSES AND PREMIUMS. 
Industrial and Agricultural Exhibition. 
LIVE STOCK. 
Additional Prizes offered in the Cattle and Poultry 
Departments; improved classification in the Sheep 
and Swine Departments, 
DOMESTIC DEPARTMENT. 
The classification has been revised and brought up 
to date. The rules have been changed. Exhibitors 
who are unable to be present at the Pair can have 
their exhibit placed for them and returned at the 
close of the Pair. 
LIBERAL PRIZES 
Offered in tho Dairy, Farm Produce, Fruit and 
Flower Departments. 
IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINES. 
The increased demand for space indicates one of 
the largost displays of Farm Implements and 
Machines in the history of the Fair. 
ENTRIES CLOSE, 
Live Stock, August 12. Implements and Machines, 
September 9. All othor Departments, September 2. 
Send for 3?rizo-Xjist. 
S. C. SHAVER, Agricultural Hall, ... ALBANY, NEW YORK 
