LUCKY FIND

Hokitika Guardian, 28 March 1930, Page 7

LUCKY FIND

A VALUABLE FODDER. A UST.'i A LIA N BENEFACTOR DEAD. SYDNEY, March, 13. There has just died in Blakiston South Australia, an old man of 81, who unknow to thousands of Australians, must rank as one of the greatest benefactors the country has ever known, tlis name was Amos W. Howard, a country florist. Around his name the blessing of a hundred farmers must hover, for it was he who made known to the country the extraordinary virtues of the subterranean clover. It was purely a chance discoverey. No one will ever know how there came to be growing in a small paddock at P'o'-bton a plant or two which Howard r-.-ognised art subterranean clover, l-'iown till that time in Europe, Asia, and Africa, but not in Australia. rr -’ving daternrned the character and value of Ins discovery, he wrote many articles on its significance, and it may be said that lus own propoganda killed his own chances of making a fortune. Others, convinced by his statements, went about the job of getting the seed and winnowing it and cleaning it for the market. More than £2 an acre was paid for the privilege of “sweep ing” a clover “paddock.” Rights were

acquired to sweep round haystacks ir the district, a process which garnered the precious clover seed, in which a brisk trade was done. Some of the men made thousands a year out of it, for its fame spread rapidly. In any district where the rainfall exceeds 20 inches the clover grows apace. Its habit is for its seed pods to bury themselves in the ground, sometimes shallow, sometimes deep. It is therefore impossible for stock to eat out a clover paddock. Sheep, placed on an apparently hare field, will thrive on the clover pods they find. Subterranean clover has been a tremendous' factor in rehabilitating the dairying industry of Victoria, for example. In.dpinny districts it has done wonderfpllyvwell, and it lias been responsible for- Va n increase in the value of some land'/rdni 30s an acre to £l2 and £ls. Apart from its fodder value, it has a great effect 011 suppressing noxious weeds, ail'd in some districts it has -even helped', to keep down thistle. 1 0 :

Subterranean clover, with top-dress-ing added, lias actually doubled the carrying capacity of some' land. In every centre dealers "spring up whose work it is to spread the iige still further. Yet, almost unknown, and certainly not enriched, the man who gave the country this boon has passed away. But he has left the world a great deal better than ho found it. Perhaps that was reward enough for such a man.