CLOVER THE RENOVATOR.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 102, 24 December 1872, Page 3

CLOVER THE RENOVATOR.

(From tin: Tukonto (Jumjk.) Tin: value of clover is yet, scarcely appreciated by Canadian fanners. Ke\y of tliem eiLlier wow land enough with this crop, or sow it thick enough. Mechi holds forth, day by day, upon the principles of Lhin sowing, and upon the advantages I lull, accrue t herefrom. Let us not, be led ast ray. When we have brought our land to such a slate of perfect culture and great, rirlnie.M as is the soil of Tiptree farm, then mav we begin (~ experiment upon the relative values of thick and til in sowing. We propose to consider this question of thick or thin sowing ill clover seed. Advocates upon both sides are to be found in the Canada Farmer tor 1870, but many of our readers are new subscribers, we would endeavour to lav down a few rides for the guidance of those who jwish, by a"libera! use of clover, 1,0 bring their land into good heart. Of the green manures, undoubtedly clover is tlie very best. The practice of ploughing under -to rot.-—full crops of such succulent, plants as clover, dates back to tho times of the ancient, Komans. 'I lie great diiterenee between the ell'ects of exhaustion upon land of green crops and cereals, may be summed in a few ivonls. The cereal grows entirely from the food which it finds ill the soil, while the many-leafed plant draws its sustenance ;ilmo.-t entirely from the atmosphere. Why is it that the beneficial elieets ol a rain storm are so much more quickly observable upon grass l,hail upon a cereal ? .Because the vain water, not only carries its inherent plant-food to the lungs or leaves of the crop directly, but it also beats down (lie | nit rogen and ammonia that have been suspended for many days over the surface of the earth. If we, then, e.vposo 11 large surface ol green crop lo the act ion of the aLmosphere, and, as the receivers of rain, we shall gather into the body ol file green crops, where it will be retained, and not, lose it-ell in tlie depths oi the soil, a store-house of all those foods, carbonic acid, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur, iS'C., which arc contained in large quant if ies in rain wafer. We store this fnod in the plant, and if we plough under that plant, before it has made its final #1.11 upon'the food stored away, i.e., before if, lvpeus and dies, we shall give to the earth a large portion of plant-food, which will be available to I lie succeeding crop, as the green manure gradually deeouipo ;es ami ] becomes amalgamated with, the contiguous part ielesot the soil. Therefore \\ e should expose before ploughing down the greatest available surface of green clover; and this can be done, most effectuajly by thick growth of the plant. The more plants, the more] surface exposed to (he atmosphere, and the more mouths ever sucking in the rich juices of I In' air and rain. Again, from a plentiful supply of seed we have a thick growth of plants, and the more closely compacted that growth when we plough the plants down, tho more rapidly will decomposition set. in. U'l. us now look at the growth of clover ill another light. Supposing that upon rich clean land we sow our clover seed in quantities such as the advocates of thin sowing require; »,he result, will be great, coarse hay ; the stock cat the leaves, and will leave the stock. What we require for the cow, the sheep, and the hog, is a sweet, tender, fine clover hay, the chewing of which causes 11,0 difficulty, and of which none is trodden under foot and wasted. We would approve of 110 rotation in Canada in which clover does not often appear. In many parts we have no means of buying animal manure, and there is 110 farmer thaL 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. Let. such as would keep the soil rich, and have, at "nil times, a decomposing vegetable matter, as a nursery from which the tender rootlets of a crop when first sown may dsaw their nourishment, provide such by decaying of clover. Soil, when lirst, ploughed and a portion taken up in the hand, should show an abundance of these rotting vegetable fibres to be in good heart. Then lets us not only sow clover as a. crop, but as a manure also, 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 rotat ion for the guidmce of our agricultural readers, composed as th?y are of farmers noon every variety of soil. Rut for a. light, loamy soil, such as is generally considered the most eligible for Canadian husbandry, we would base tho principle 01 our rot al ion upon as nearly as possible the following form : Ist year, wheat; 2nd, ord, and -l-th years, clover (and timothy, if required) ; sth year, hoed crop ; 6th year, spring crops; 7th year, clover ; SUi year, summer fallow, or clover left : fifh year, wheat. This is a general rotation upon the basis of which may be formed slight practical alterations. The advantages that- we claim (by such 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 pulverized and rich, spring crops—in excellent order for seeding down, and guarantee for a heavy crop of clover, to be* fed at home--this clover, if heavy land, to be summer fallowed, and fallowed with wheat —thus giving one crop of wheat, four crops of hay, one of roots, one of spring graij;, e-veiy eight years, allowing of green manuring and barn yard 011 tne sth and Bth years, making the proportionate crops in each year, 011 a 100 acre farm, as follows:—Wheat, spring crop, hoed ero.i, and summer fallow, twelve and a half acres each, and of hay and pasture .50 acres, allowingjthe clcaining of -•"> acres every year, or twico in the full course. Wo believe, however, that upon moderately light land, this summer fallow may be cut out. altogether, and may either be displaced by Eall wheat, or superseded by a, crop pf Spring grain, oats, or peas. Under such a system of farming, tho laud would be clean at. all times with the hoed crop of 12| acres.each year, and will, we think, where oat tie enough are kept to consume a large proportion of hay and roots, be rich enough to bear, once in seven years, two cereals following upon each other, especially if the barn-yard manure bo so managed that a j dressing of well-rotted dung.may be.applicable to the spring i grain, suitable for the immediate benefit of the following j 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 worn-out soil. Knowledge of our duties is the most useful part of philosophy. Ho is happy whose circumstances suit his temper; but be is more excellent who can suit his temper to any circumstances. Reciprocity.—A recent number of the London Observer sil y s .—Xhe following amusing correspondence has just passed between the acting managers respectively, of an eminent west end theatre and an eminent west end milliner: —'" Sir,—lf you are now issuing any any complimentary orders for your theatre, may I ask you to circulate a lew through me. for the ladies and gentleman of our house P By doing so you may rely upon them being used by fashionable and well-dressed persons. I hope you will pardon me the liberty I have taken by wi; ting to you, and trusting the suggestion will njeet wll your approbation, lain, sir, your's obediently, —" The following answer was forwarded by return of post:—" If you are now issuing any complimentary black silk dresses, may I tisk you to circulate a few through me for the ladies of this theatre P By doing so, you may rely on their - being made up fashionably, and worn by ladies of good appearance and figure, I hope you will pardon,- the liberty; but trusting tho suggestion will meet With your approval, I am, sir, yours oocdiuatly,—

A gentleman is a rarer thing than some of us think fur. Which of us can point out many such it: his circle, men whose aims are generous, whose truth i:; constant and elevated ; who can look the world honestly in the face, with an equal mauly sympathy for the great and the small ? We .ill known hundred whose eoiits a:e well made, and a score who have excellent manners, but of gentlemen j how many ? l<et us take a little scrap of paper and each make our list.—Tii.vcicei;.vy . Out for a Holitut.—One of our young citizens who went recently to a farm in. the country to seek "health instead of dissipation," returned the other day a little out of sorts. Hi; had blistered his hands hoeing corn, torn the seat out of a pair of 20dol. pants at a picnic, one eve was blackened from attempting to draw "water from aa old oaken bucket and crank, his forehead was frescoed with mosquito bites, a stone bruise gave him tho, Alexandra limp, he was freckled like a leopard, and had been sun struck four times. With these exceptions he experienced elegant time.— Cleveland (Ohio) Leader. "Can you steer?" cried the captain. "The deuce a better hand at the tiller in Kinsale," replied Barney. " And you know the points of the compass, I supppose ?" "A compass! by my iaith, it's not alone a compass, but a pair of compasses I have, that my brother, a carpinthir, left me for a keepsake when he went abroad; but, indeed, as for the pints of them, I can't say much, for the childcr spoilt them entirely borin' lioles in the flure." The Meaxkst Max. —T saw a man who speaks four languages, viz., New York, .Roston, lioboken, find English. He is very mean—meaner than Bill Gilbert's 25° w der. It is said said that Bill Gilbert's powder had grains as big as huckleberries, and that a man might wade through a bad place with a sack of it on his back with perfect safety. This man who is meaner than Bill Gilbert's powder has been promising for two years to take Ins lamely this summer to a watering place, and one day last week, after they had been two weeks' packing their trunks, he hitched up his team and drove them all down to the pump.—New York Sun. l)u Ci;.\r.\riM>'s A.-unrnox. —The Rev. Dr Gumming, in the course of a lecture at Bristol, a short time ago, in mentioning, approvingly, that Scotland had opened her pulpits to .Anglican bishops and clergy, expressed a hope that the next movement would give him it.chance of preaching in Westminster Abbey. He was ambitious to occupy that place, because his friend Archbishop Manning had stated that it was certain that before he died he would say High Mass within the walls of Westminster Abbey; and lie (the Doctor) was most anxious to give the Archbishop a good introduction by telling the people what High Mass was.