354 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
April  21,  loot 
A  Plant  Ailment. 
Among  the  most  valuable  fodder  crops  may  be  counted  that 
of  red  clover  (Trifolium  pratense),  and  it  is  a  native  of  Great 
Britain.  In  consequence  of  its  value,  every  fai-mer  would  fain 
grow  as  much  of  this  plant  annually  as  possible,  but  it  has  a 
nasty  trick  of  disappointing  the  growers.  It  cannot  be  depended 
upon  to  do  well  on  the  same  land  if  planted  oftener  than  once 
in  four  years  ;  indeed,  on  some  soils,  even  with  that  space  of 
time  intervening,  the  fi'esh  crop  is  an  absolute  failure.  This 
tendency  of  red  clover  to  fail  is  no  new  thing :  it  has  been 
observed  for  upwards  of  100  years,  and  it  has  engaged  the 
attention  of  botanists  and  scientists  for  quite  that  length  of 
time.  If  a  remedy  could  be  found  it  would  be  the  means  of 
putting  annually  vast  sums  of  money  into  the  farmers’  depleted 
pockets,  and  tlirough  them  the  money  would  percolate  to  the 
advantage  of  the  community  at  large.  So  far,  no  one  seems  to 
have  hit  on  any  cure ;  indeed,  it  is  only  of  late  that  the  disease 
has  been  fairly  diagnosed,  but  we  think  this  being  the  ca.se  we 
are  on  the  high  road  to  a  cure ;  at  least  there  is  more  chance 
for  the  doctors. 
A  well-known  writer  declares  he  is  only  able  to  get  a  full 
plant  of  red  clover  every  eight  years,  and  he  also  observes  that 
in  fields  of  his  own  which  have  not  seen  clover  for  thirteen  or 
twenty  years,  when  the  crop  was  planted  it  was  more  or  less  of 
a  failure.  The  question  has  been  mooted,  and  has  the  support 
of  practical  men,  that  in  taking  so  many  corn  crops  as  we  do, 
we  exhaust  the  land  of  that  particular  form  of  nourishment  that 
the  clover  needs ;  and  also  that  the  constant  sowing  of  vetches 
(tares)  and  beans  will  injure  the  chances  of  the  future  clover. 
Beans  are  very  little  grown  now.  As  one  farmer  says,  we  may 
safely  leave  our  bean  supply  in  the  hands  of  the  Egyptians ;  but 
vetches  are  greatly  on  the  increase,  they  make  such  capital 
“  keep,”  nutritious,  and  luscious  when  other  crops  are  scarce. 
We  have  been  told  that  the  failure  of  clover  can  be  remedied 
by  a  good  dressing  of  lime,  and  also  we  have  been  told  that 
tile  average  farmer  failed  on  his  part  to  supply  this  lime  or 
other  equivalent  (N.B. — The  farmer  is  always  in  the  wrong). 
All  of  us  have  heard  of  the  great  experimental  works  that 
were  conducted  for  many  a  lorn?  year  at  Rotham,sted,  under 
the  auspices  of  those  pioneers  of  agricultural  chemistry,  Lawes 
and  Gilbert.  AVell,  these  men  were  acquainted  with  clover 
sickne.ss,  and  as  far  back  as  1849  began  a  series  of  experiments 
to  try  and  fathom  the  reason  for,  and  the  cur.e  of,  this  com¬ 
plaint.  They  tried  continuous  sowings  with  and  without 
manures  (be  sure  that  with  them  the  applied  manures  were  just 
what  the  plant  appeared  to  need).  In  1849,  the  crops  were  very 
heavy.  In  1852  fair  crops,  and  then  up  to  1871  no  full  crop  has 
been  grown  at  all,  nor  even  a  plant  that  would  stand  the  usual 
time  in  the  ground.  The  plant  died  off  in  winter  and  early 
spring. 
Not  to  be  beaten,  another  experiment  was  made  of  con¬ 
tinuous  clover  gi'owing  in  a  portion  of  the  kitchen  garden  at 
Bothamsted,  and  in  this  case  it  vas  twenty-two  years  before 
signs  of  failure  occurred;  exactly  the  same  signs  as  tho.se  found 
on  the  field  growths.  AVe  here  quote  from  memoranda  of  the 
Rothamsted  experiments  in  respect  to  clover  growing : — 
“The  general  result  of  the  experiments  on  ordinary  arable 
land  in  the  field  has  been,  that  neither  organic  matter  rich  in 
carbon,  as  well  as  other  constituents,  nor  ammonium  salts,  nor 
nitrate  of  soda,  nor  mineral  constituents,  nor  a  complex  mixture 
applied  as  manure  availed  to  restore  the  clover-yielding  capa¬ 
bilities  of  the  land  ;  though  where  some  of  those  were  ai^plied  in 
large  quantity,  and  at  considerable  depths,  the  result  was 
better  than  when  they  were  only  used  in  moderate  quantities, 
and  applied  only  on  the  surface. 
“  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  clear  that  the  soil  in  the  garden, 
which  at  the  commencement  contained  in  its  upper  layers  about 
four  times  as  much  nitrogen  as  the  arable  land,  and  would 
doubtless  be  correspondingly  rich  in  othei'  constituents,  has  sup¬ 
plied  the  conditions  under  which  clover  can  be  grown  year  after 
year  on  the  same  land  for  many  years  in  succession. 
“  The  re.sults  obtained  on  the  soil  in  the  garden  seem  to  show 
that  what  is  called  ‘  clover  sickness,’  cannot  be  due  to  tlie 
injurious  influence  of  excreted  matters  upon  the  immediately 
succeeding  crop.  That  clover  frequently  fails  coincidently  with 
■injury  from  parasitic  plants  or  insects  cannot  be  disputed,  but 
it  may  be  doubted  whether  such  injury  should  be  reckoned  as 
the  cau.se  or  merely  concomitant  and  an  aggravation  of  the 
failing  conditions. 
“  The  results  of  the  experiments  seem,  thei’efore,  to  exclude 
the  supposition  that  the  primary  cau.se  of  failure  is  eicher 
destruction  by  parasitic  plants  or  insects,  injury  from  excreted 
matter,  or  the  shad^e  of  the  corn  crop,  and  to  indicate  that  it 
must  be  looked  for  in  exhaustion  of  some  kind  within  the  range 
of  the  roots.” 
This  disease  of  clover  begins  on  the  leaves  and  stem,  and 
never  in  the  root.  Early  in  the  winter  a  stricken  plant  will 
become  discoloured  and  covered  with  blackish  spots  first  on  the 
leaves,  but  speedily  on  the  .stems.  This  is  caused  by  a  fungus 
spawn.  Presently  there  are  further  developments  in  the  stem 
and  crown  of  the  root,  and  the  plant  speedily  succumbs.  The 
hardened  spawn  or  mycelium  (sclerotia)  are  to  be  found  in  the 
soil,  round  or  oblong,  sometimes  as  big  as  a  pea.  These  will 
remain  dormant  in  the  soil  for  a  lengthened  period,  just  waiting 
for  the  next  crop  that  will  give  them  harbourage  and  support. 
The  late  Sir  Henry  Gilbert  found  in  the  garden  plot  (lOsq 
yards)  after  the  failure  of  the  clover  crop  in  1898,  6oz  of 
sclerotia,  or  1811b  to  an  acre!  No  wonder  the  infection  abides! 
Lucerne,  trefoil,  and  in  a  measure  white  clover,  are  liable  to 
attacks  of  the  particular  fungus  sclerotinia  ;  but  so  far  we  have 
not  heard  of  tares  falling  victims,  for  they  certainly  are 
leguminous  plants. 
The  fungus  of  the  Potato  top  with  which  we  are  mo.stly 
acquainted,  yields  entirely,  or  is  greatly  retarded,  by  spraying 
with  Bordeaux  mixture,  but  it  is  questionable  whether  the 
dre.ssing  that  leaves  the  Potato  top  uninjured  woidd  suit  the 
more  delicate  texture  of  the  clover  leaf.  AVe  have  very  little 
doubt  that  in  process  of  time  a  mixture  will  be  compounded 
which,  if  applied  in  the  earliest  .stage  of  the  disease,  will  check 
the  ravages,  and  that  by  a  vigorous  stimulant  in  the  form  of 
some  combination  of  manure,  the  plant  will  be  able  to  triumph 
over  the  enemy. 
Is  there  not  also  here  scope  for  seed  raisers  ?  AVe  hear  of 
new  varieties  of  wheat  and  other  grain ;  Potatoes,  turnips,  and 
mangolds,  have  been  improved  and  strengthened  almost  beyond 
conception,  and  the  number  is  always  increasing.  Surely  there 
are  districts  and  countries  where  red  clover  is  found  clear  of 
disease.  AA'e  have  said  again  and  again  how  much  wiser  it  is  to 
grow  the  strong  and  healthy,  than  to  be  continually  doctoring 
the  weak.  If  Gilbert  and  Lawes  could  not  find  or  devi.se 
remedial  manures  it  seems  hopeless  to  expect  it  of  the  ordinary 
farmer.  Either  he  must  he  content  to  give  his  land  the  neces¬ 
sary  rest,  or  grow  from  stronger,  healthier  seeds,  or  find  out 
or  accept  some  other  forage  plant  equally  valuable  as  red  clover. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  latent  conservatism  in  the  farming 
mind,  and  we  do  not  take  easily  to  new  ideas  until  we  are  fairly 
forced  into  them  by  circumstances. 
In  the  case  of  Potatoes  we  have  been  forced  into  the  adoption 
of  new  varieties,  simply  because  vdiat  were  popular  ten  or  twelve 
or  even  three  or  four  years  ago  are  found  to  be  quite  worn  out 
and  useless,  yet  we  do  not  give  up  Potato  culture,  but  avail 
ounselves  or  the  new  varieties  placed  on  the  market.  There  is 
a  feeling  abroad  that  English  clover  seed  is  the  best,  that  the 
foreign  seeds — Lowland  Dutch,  Normandy,  Chili,  &c.,  may  be 
good,  but  that  owing  to  the  lack  of  proper  cleaning  in  parcels 
of  these  we  are  liable  to  get  noxious  weeds  which  we  can  well 
dispense  with. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. 
AVe  have  had  a  week  of  very  strong  drying  winds,  whicli  have 
had  great  effect  on  the  land.  On  light  and  medium  soils  it  has 
been  entirely  favourable,  but  on  strong  the  drying  process  has, 
been  too  rapid,  and,  in  spite  of  the  constant  u.se  of  the  roll  a 
good  seedbed  has  not  been  obtained  as  yet.  A  farmer  of  strong 
land  tells  us  that  he  has  abandoned  any  further  drilling  until 
rain  conies.  AA"e  must  congratulate  ourselves  that  on  our  more 
easily  worked  land  we  have  been  able  to  sow  satisfactorily. 
A  friend  who  farms  a  quantity  of  low-lying  black  .soil  is  only 
just  commencing  to  sow,  as,  until  drier  weather  set  in,  there  was 
little  likelihood  of  getting  a  seedbed.  Now  the  water  is  all 
gone  he  is  hard  at  work,  with  good  results.  The  work  we  were 
most  anxious  about,  viz.,  preparation  for  mangolds,  has  per¬ 
force  been  left  over,  for  we  dare  not  drag  and  harrow  for  fear 
of  losing  too  much  surface  moisture.  AVe  have  therefore  left 
that  breadth  of  land  alone,  and  have  put  all  our  forces  into  the 
swede  and  turnip  fields. 
In  these  we  are  not  afraid  of  losing  moisture  for  the  present, 
so  the  spring  cultivators,  followed  by  harrows,  rollers,  and 
harrows  again,  have  given  the  greater  part  of  our  fallows  a 
grand  I'aking  over,  and  we  have  what  is  left  of  the  annua] 
supply  of  twitch  in  condition  for  burning.  AA^e  know  that  twitch 
burning  is  said  to  be  poor  economy,  but  it  costs  much  less  tlian 
carting  off,  and  artificial  substitutes  are  not  dear.  AVe  think 
that  the  small  bits  of  which  the  inesent  crop  chiefly  consists 
are  much  safer  w  hen  burnt,  and  we  shall  burn,  this  time  at  any 
rate. 
If  the  labour  can  be  afforded,  manure  wdiich  has  been  carted 
into  hill  should  be  turned  over  to  prevent  overheating.  Manure 
in  the  yards,  too,  if  it  is  required  for  this  year’s  root  crop,  should 
be  turned  over  where  it  is.  It  wdll  then  be  found  in  good  order 
for  distribution  wdien  the  time  for  that  work  arrives. 
