Crimson Clover: Growing the Crop

Part 1

=Transcriber Note=

Text emphasis denoted by Italics and =Bold=.

Issued July 9, 1913.

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

Farmers' Bulletin 550

CRIMSON CLOVER:

GROWING THE CROP.

J. M. WESTGATE

Agronomist in Charge of Clover Investigations. Office of Forage-Crop Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry.

WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 1913.

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.

U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau or Plant Industry, Office or the Chief, Washington, D. C., June 12, 1915.

Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith and to recommend for publication as a Farmers' Bulletin the accompanying manuscript entitled "Crimson Clover: Growing the Crop." This has been prepared by Mr. J. M. Westgate, Agronomist in Charge of Clover Investigations, and has been submitted by Prof. C. V. Piper, Agrostologist in Charge of Forage-Crop Investigations, with a view to publication. It is expected that this bulletin will be followed soon by other bulletins, each treating of some particular phase of this important crop.

Respectfully, Wm. A. Taylor, Chief of Bureau.

Hon. D. F. Houston, Secretary of Agriculture.

CONTENTS.

Page. Introduction 3 History and present distribution of crimson clover 3 Requirements for obtaining and maintaining a stand of crimson clover 5 Preparation of the Seed bed 6 Fertilizers for crimson clover 6 Liming soils for crimson clover 7 Inoculation for crimson clover 8 Seeding crimson clover 8 Various methods of seeding crimson clover 9 Seeding crimson clover in intertilled crops 10 Seeding crimson clover after early-maturing crops 12 Seeding crimson clover with late summer-seeded annual crops 13 Crimson clover in mixtures with other legumes and grain 13 Seeding crimson clover alone 15 Treatment of crimson clover stands after seeding 15

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page. Fig. 1. A single plant of crimson clover. 4 2. A crimson-clover failure on ground too poor in humus 5 3. Seeding crimson clover in corn at the last cultivation 10 4. Crimson clover in an old cornfield 11 5. Crimson clover and wheat in mixture 14

CRIMSON CLOVER: GROWING THE CROP.

=INTRODUCTION.=

Probably the most important characteristic of crimson clover is its ability to grow and make its crop during the season when the land is not occupied by the ordinary summer-growth crops. In sections where it succeeds, crimson clover can be sown following a grain crop or in an intertilled crop in late summer and will mature a hay crop the following spring in time to plow the land for spring-seeded crops, such as corn or cotton. It may even be held for seed as far north as central Delaware and the stubble be plowed under in time for seeding the quick-maturing strains of corn. It may be turned under for soil improvement when only 6 inches high if it Is desired to fit the land for early spring-seeded crops Even if only the stubble be turned under, the effect upon the succeeding crop will be marked, especially if the soil be deficient in nitrogenous fertilizers. The plowing under of the entire plant, however, will more rapidly correct any deficiency of nitrates or humus in the soil. It is one of the best cover crops for use in orchards and, in fact, under any conditions where the soil is likely to wash during the winter months. The many uses to which this crop may be put merit a careful study of the best methods of establishing ii stand of crimson clover upon a farm.

=HISTORY AND PRESENT DISTRIBUTION OF CRIMSON CLOVER.=

Crimson clover (fig. 1) is frequently called "Scarlet clover" and, somewhat loss commonly, "German clover," "Italian clover," "French clover," "Incarnate clover," "Annual clover," etc. It occurs wild in England and in eastern and southern Europe and is grown as a forage and soil-improving crop in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, and Great Britain. It was introduced into this country as early as 1822, but was grown only to a very limited extent until about 1880. It has proved especially adapted to the lighter, sandy soils of the eastern part of the United States where the winters are not too severe.

In the Middle Atlantic States it is also grown to a considerable extent on the clay soils of the Piedmont section.

In Michigan it is sometimes used on the sandy soils as a cover crop in peach orchards, although it frequently winterkills. It can not ordinarily survive the severe winters of the Northern States.

In such northern sections where a fall-seeded legume is desired it is suggested that hairy vetch seeded with rye be used instead. See Farmers' Bulletin 515, entitled "Vetches."

Crimson clover is a "winter annual," that is, it ordinarily makes its early growth in the autumn, passes the winter in a somewhat dormant but green state, makes a very early spring growth, and matures its seed and dies before summer. It makes little or no growth in very hot weather and therefore should not be sown in the spring, except in the extreme North, where it may make a satisfactory growth by autumn, so that & hay crop may be taken from it at that time.

Part 2

=REQUIREMENTS FOR OBTAINING AND MAINTAINING A STAND OF CRIMSON CLOVER.=

Unless the conditions of soil and moisture are exactly right it is not an easy matter to establish a satisfactory stand of crimson clover, even in the sections where it is most extensively produced. (Fig. 2.) The lack of timely rains in late summer is responsible for most of the failures to obtain a satisfactory stand. The young seedlings are very easily killed by the hot sun or lack of moisture. On the other hand, if the seeding be delayed too long, as, for instance, in waiting for the proper conditions of soil moisture, the plants will be unable to make sufficient growth to withstand the winter. Briefly speaking, crimson clover should be seeded shallow on a moist, reasonably fertile, well-drained, well-settled seed bed. Inoculation in some form should be provided, especially when seeding it for the first time on any fields in sections comparatively new to this crop.

Crimson clover is not adapted to the white-clay lands in their present condition in some portions of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Such fields should be seeded to soy beans or cowpeas when a leguminous crop is desired for soil improvement or other purposes. Crimson clover does not do well on rough, newly cleared land and it ordinarily requires the production of two or three crops or a special preparation by liming, manuring, and inoculating before such land presents conditions satisfactory for seeding. It is usually better to sow rye for a winter cover and cowpeas for a summer crop if a cover crop is thought to be needed. In any section where crimson clover has not been previously grown the first seeding should be on a small scale to determine whether or not it is a practicable crop for the locality in question.

These white-clay soils are nearly always sour, deficient In humus, and poorly drained. If limed, subsoiled, drained, and supplied with humus, such soils are said to grow crimson clover satisfactorily.

=PREPARATION OF THE SEED BED.=

The seed bed for crimson clover should be firm, moist, well settled, and fine on top. Any efforts that may be expended to conserve the soil moisture previous to seeding are usually justified, especially if there be any lack of rainfall during the month previous or the month following seeding. Where the clover is seeded in an intertilled crop, such as corn, cotton, or tomatoes, the customary cultivation received by these crops is ordinarily sufficient for the needs of crimson clover. Where grain-stubble land is plowed in preparation for the clover a month or six weeks are ordinarily required for the soil to settle sufficiently to make a proper seed bed, since after plowing at least one soaking rain, which compacts the soil and fills it with moisture, is essential to the proper preparation of the seed bed for crimson clover. If the ground be disked, a much shorter time and less rain are required for the proper settling of the seed bed. The best method of retaining the moisture in the seed bed is to harrow or give shallow cultivation shortly after each rain. A fine soil mulch on the surface will largely prevent the soil just beneath the surface from losing its moisture through evaporation. Such surface tillage should, of course, be given before seeding the crimson clover.

=FERTILIZERS FOR CRIMSON CLOVER.=

Under the ordinary conditions of soil fertility the fertilizer applied to the preceding crop is sufficient for the needs of crimson clover. This is especially true where the clover follows such crops as potatoes or tomatoes, which are ordinarily heavily treated with fertilizers that are not entirely used up by these crops. It is important to realize, however, that crimson clover has a very short period of growth and that to make a vigorous growth it must have a good supply of plant food. On sandy soils where there has been no recent application of fertilizers it is often the practice to apply from 200 to 400 pounds of a mixture of equal parts of acid phosphate and kainite. On clay soils 300 or 400 pounds per acre of acid phosphate are ordinarily sufficient. If the soil be low in nitrates a light application of nitrate of soda will assist materially in giving the young clover plants a good start and winter which otherwise might have proved fatal to the stand. If the seeding has been delayed, as by waiting for suitable rains, an application of nitrate fertilizer will stimulate the young plants and enable them to make an increased growth before winter.

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