CLOVER THE RENOVATOR.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3820, 2 June 1873, Page 3

CLOVER THE RENOVATOR.

The value of clover is yet scarcely appreciated by our farmers. Few of them either sow land enough with this crop, or sow it thick enough. Mr Mechi holds forth, day by day, upon the principles of thin sowing, and upon the advantages that accrue therefrom. Let us not be led astray. When we have brought our land to such a state of perfect culture and great richness as is the soil of Tiptree farm, then may we begin to experiment upon the relative values of thick and thin sowing.

We propose to consider this question of thick or thin sowing of clover seed, and would endeavor to lay down a few rules for the guidance of those who wish, by a liberal use of clover, to bring their land into good heart. Of the green manures, undoubtedly clover is the very best. The practice of ploughing under — to rot — full crops of Buck succulent plants as clover, dates back to the times of the ancient Romans.

The great difference between the effects of exhaustion upon land of green crops and cereals, may be summed in a few words.

The cereal grows entirely from the food which it finds in the soil, while the many leafed plant draws its sustenance almost entirely from the atmosphere. Why is it that the beneficial effects of a rain storm are so much more quickly observable upon grass than upon a cereal P Because the rain-water not only carries its inherent plant food to the lungs or leaves of the crop directly, but it also beats down the nitrogen and ammonia that have been suspended for many days over the surface of the earth. If we, then, expose a large surface of green crop to the action of the atmosphere and as the receivers of rain, we shall gather into the body of the green crops — where it will be retained and not lose itself in the depths of the soil — a store house of all those foods, carbonic acid, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur, &c, which are contained in large quantities in rain water.

We Btore this food in the plant, and if we plough under that plant before it has made its final call upon the food stored away, namely, before it ripens and dies, we shall give to the earth a large portion of plant food, which will be available to the succeeding crop, as the green manure gradually decomposes and becomes amalgamated with the contiguous particles of the soil. Therefore we should expose before ploughing down the greatest available surface of green clover; and this can be done most effectually by thick growth of the plant. The more plantsfthe more surface exposed to the atmosphere, and the more mouths ever sucking in the rich juices of the air and rain.

Again, from a plentiful supply of seed we have a thick growth of plants, and the more closely compact that growth when we plough the plants down, the more rapidly will decomposition set in. Let us now look at clover in another light. Supposing that upon rich clean land we sow our clover seed in quantities such .as the advocates of thin sowing require ; the result will be great, coarse hay ; the stock eat the leaves and will leave the stalks. What we require for the cow, the sheep, and the hog is, a tender, sweet, fine clover hay, the chewing of which causes no difficulty, and of which none is trodden under foot and wasted.

We would approve of no rotation in which clover does not often appear. In many parts we have no means of buying animal manure, and there is no farmer that can manufacture sufficient at home to thoroughly renovate his land, unless indeed under the supposition that he should buy feed other than that raised on the farm.

Many people are under the impression that flax is very difficult of cultivation, but it is a great mistake, and would be entirely dissipated by a visit to Mr Hawkin's nursery, Antigua-streetsouth. Those who take an interest in the development of the flax industry would also find themselves amply repaid by adopting a similar course, and inspecting the plants which have been cultivated by Mr Hawkins on behalf of. the Flax Association. The

Let such as would keep the soil rich, and have at all times a decomposing vegetable matter as a nursery from which the tender rooteeta of a crop when first aown may draw their nourishment, provide such by decaying of clover. Soil, when fhst ploughed and a portion taken up in the hand, should sow an abundance of these rotting vegetable^ fibres, to be in good heart. Then let us not only sow clover as a crop, but as a manure blbo, whenever we may look forward to the profitable ploughing down of the same, at any period from one to three years. It is impossible to lay down any arbitrary rotation for the guidance of our agricultural readers, composed as they are of farmers upon every variety of soil. But as a light, loamy soil, such as is generally considered the most eligible for husbandry, we would base the principle of our rotation upon as nearly as possible the following form :■— lst year, wheat , 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years, clover (and timothy, if required) ; 6th year, hoed crop : > 6th year, spring.crops ; 7th year, clover ; Bth year, summer fallow, or clovew^ft ; 9th year, wheat. ''jr This is a general rotation upon the basis of which may be formed slight practical alterations. The advantages that we claim for auch a rotation are : A stiff, but still young sod for our root crop, upon which may also be put fresh or rough to advantage.

After the roots upon the clean land are thoroughly pulverised and rich spring crops in excellent order for seeding down, and guarantee for a heuvy crop of clover, to be fed at horne — this clover, if heavy land, to be summer fallowed, and fallowed with wheat — thus giving one crop of wheat, four crops #f hay, one of roots, one of spring grain, every eight years, allowing of green manuring and barn yard on the fifth and eighth years, making the proportionate crops in each year, on a one hundred acre farm, as follows : — Wheat, spring crop, hoed crop, and summer fallow, twelve and a half acres each ; and of hay and pasture fifty acres ; allowing the cleaning of twenty-five acres every year, or twice in the full course.

We believe, however, that upon moderately light land, this Bummer fallow may be cut out altogether, and may either be displaced by fall wheat, or superseded by a crop of spring grain, oats, or peas. Under such a system of farming, the land would be clean at all times with the hoed crop of twelve and a half acres each year, and will, we think, where cattle enough are kept to consume a large proportion of hay and roots, be rich enough to bear, once ia seven years, two cereals following upon each other, especially if the barnyard manure be so managed that a dressing of well rotted dung may be applicable to the spring grain, suitable for the immediate benefit of the following wheat crop. If your land be poor take every available opportunity to seed down and plough down clover. It is the most rapid and economical .method of renovating a wornout soil.