The Madison Daily Leader

SWEET CLOVER

MANY INQUIRIES FOLLOW REPORT OF SUCCESS WITH THIS HAY CROP NEAR PIERRE.

Pierre, Feb. 3.—That "true crop stories" are well appreciated everywhere, and even by the government officials has lately been proven when a Pierre dispatch published in some South Dakota papers and in the Sioux City Tribune and other sources concerning the splendid crop harvested this year of sweet wild clover on the Fort Sully Cattle company's ranch, twenty-five miles northwest of Pierre owned by Chester Gowdy, of Fielder, and Bert Waitte, of Sioux City. This story gained the attention of many farming journals and inquiries from interested farmers, as well as official request from the United States government for exact knowledge of the raising of this crop, accompanied by requests for samples of the seed and prices for sale of it are arriving.

Letters have been received from more than a hundred sources to date, asking for sale of the seed, but Mr. Gowdy has disposed of what excess he had, over what he intends to use himself in sowing larger areas next spring, but next year much additional yield is expected, because, as the article originally stated, it is the opinion of this firm that the sweet clover is the salvation of the highlands of this partly arid country, in great superiority over any kind of alfalfa whatsoever. Last year, when alfalfa everywhere failed to yield a seed, almost, the clover did its most, and the hay tonnage was immense, and the cattle thrive upon it. And all of this without a drop of care, after sowing.

It appears the clover crop will run out the most obstinate sort of weeds anywhere, even the celebrated Russian thistle, which grows in this country excessively the moment the sod is once broken.