Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 139, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 June 1915 — TO OBTAIN A GOOD STAND OF CLOVER [ARTICLE]

TO OBTAIN A GOOD STAND OF CLOVER

Crop Will Not , Succeed on Poorly Drained Soil —Lack of Fertility Reduces Yield. Observations indicate that failure to obtain a successful stand of clover is due to a number of different causes, any one or any combination of which may react very unfavorably to its growth. The primary causes of clover failure appear to be due to depletion of the humus content of the soil and soil “acidity. Clover will not succeed on poorly drained soil. Lack of fertility reduces the yield in some sec. tions. .In the spring grain sections thet nurse crop should be seeded from one-half to two-thirds the usual rate. When a full seeding of the nurse crop is made, and this is especially true of oats, the greater portion of the soil moisture is used by the grain. The clover plants thus become weakened and when the grain is cut they are killed by the hot sun before they have time to recover. Alsike clover does well on soil which will no longer grow red clover, and where moisture is sufficient it is recommended that alsike be planted. Sweet clover or soy beans are very good soil renovators, and they may replace red clover in the rotations until the soil is in such condition that red clover will succeed.