> 



181 



LEGUMINOStE. LXX. Trifolium. 



sou-n with spring corn, clover and grass seeds are usually put in tening live stock by makuig it into hay, or b> pasturing. It b, 



after the land has been pulverized by harrowing in the corn- been pretty uniformly found, after repeated trials upon soils of 



seed, and are themselves covered by one course more of the almost every description, that oats taken after c over that has 



harrows, or if the corn is drilled, die small seeds are sown im- been cut, cither for sod.ng or hay, ,s superior to tl.e crop taken 



mediately before or after hand-hoeing, and the land is then 

 finished by a course of the harrow. When the land is under 



after clover pasture by sheep. On all farms a part of this crop 

 is cut o-reen for the working horses, and for milch-cows, aniin 



an autumn-sown crop of wheat or other grain, though the clovers some instances both for growing and fattening cattle. 

 and rye-grass are still sown m spring, the proper period must 



feedi 



depend both upon the state of the land and the progress of the prevent swelling or hovmg, which is very apt to take place when 

 crops ; and it may be often adviseable to break the crust formed they are first put on this food, especially it it be wet with rain 



on the surface of tenacious soils, by using the harrow before the 

 clover-seed is sown, as well as afterwards to cover it. Some- 

 times the roller only Is employed at this time, and there are 

 instances of clover and rye-grass succeeding when sown without 

 either harrow or rolling, if the weather is moist at the time of 

 sowing. Half an inch maybe considered a proper depth to cover 

 clover-seed in clay soils, and an inch in dry light soil, but it will 

 grow when barely covered. 



The quantity of seed sown on an acre is exceedingly various ; 

 not only as more or less white and yellow clover is sown along 



or dew, and the more luxuriant the clover the greater is the 

 danger. After being accustomed to this rich food for a few days, 

 during which it should be given rather sparingly, the danger is 

 much diminished; but it is never safe to allow milch cows in 

 particular to eat large quantities of wet clover. 



The mode of making clover hay is to cut it close to the ground, 

 and in as perfect and uniform a manner as it is possible to accom- 

 plish. The surface in the preceding spring having been freed 

 from stones and well rolled, the stubble after the mower ought to 



be as short and smooth as possible, by which means the after 



• 1 -.«:™u*,. It is turned withs 



with grass-seeds and red clover, or when pasturage is intended, growth will be more vigorous and weighty 



hut even when they are the only kinds sown, the quantity is fork or by hand every day until it is quite dry ; it is then put 



varied by the quality of the soils, and the different purposes of up in field ricks, and afterwards stacked. _ ^ 



hay, soiling, or one year's pasture, to which the crop is to be ap- The after growth or second crop of clover is ^igo^<>"^J^^^^^^^^^^ 



plied. When pastura-e is the object more seed is necessary than according to the proportion of clover plants to rye-grass, to ine 



when the crop is to be cut green for soiling ; and for hay less time when the first crop was cut, and to the moisture and jarmtt 



i, necessary .L„ ,o either of ,he farmer. Timely pulverized t:^^^^^ _^^^;\:> ^, t?.'" ""S. St • 



13 necessary iiiaii lu ciluci i^* nn. 4^11**^1 • j. ..-.v,.^ 2'" , - _ . , i v ^ * 1 Krvtli nrp r 



soils do not require so much seed as clays, on which clovers and into hay, and sometimes the second, but m general ^otli are c 



rye-glass are very frequently sown among autumn or winter- 

 sown wheat, when there is more danger of a part of it perishin;>- 

 from being imperfectly covered. In general 8 or 10 pounds 



a minimum quantity, and from that to 14 



sumed'by soiling or pasturinsr, unless in some dry warm districts, 

 as Norfolk, and parts of Suffolk and Kent, when the second 

 growth is left to ripen its seed. In the northern counties, 

 should it be cut for hay, which it seldom is, the best method 



may be taken as a minimum quantity, and Irom that to 1^* snouia u uc cm lor imy, wm^ii it ^ci^ui» .., r-"-", j^f 



pounds as the maximum. Ryegrass, commonly at the rate of saving it is to mix it up with straw, which fllf"^^^^^^ 



a bushel per acre, but in many cases only half or two-thirds of a 

 bushel, is mixed with this weight of clover, and both are sown at 



the same time. 



When it is intended to retain the land in pasture for several 



years the quantity of red clover is diminished, and several kinds 



Its juices. It is often cut green as a part of the soiling system, 

 or where a sheep stock is kept, pastured by the old ewes 

 other sorts, that are to be fattened the ensuing winter on tunii^ 



When clover is used as a pasturage crop the live stock 

 either pent in by hurdles, and the hurdles shifted as the clover^^ 

 eaten, or they may be tethered in the field, and the tethers 



predominate. 



yf clov 



of more permanent herbage are added, the most common of eaten, or they may be tethered in the Held, ^n^ ui^ ^ ^^^^ 

 xvhich are white and yellow clover, and rib-wort and rye-grass, moved in order to have the clover eaten regularly, as 

 No general rule can be laid down as to the proper quantity of parts of Scotland, or the stock is introduced into the tieu , ^^^^ 

 each to be sown ; the red clover and rye-grass, however, should this case always earlier than in tethering ^^^^ ^^^^/"=' ^ sheep 



to avoid the loss that would be sustained by cattle «*/''; 



treading on tall herbage ; but red clover is not ge"^^^**^,^ 

 tured till the third year ; but when white or yellow cloverj^^^ 

 sown the herbage is sometimes not mown at all, but only p 

 for three or more years, but if a little red clover is sown 

 them a crop of hay may be taken the second year. ^^^^ 



The produce of clover hay without any admixture ^^/i^^J"^^ 

 either to discover or to separate irom mem. nea ciover irom on the best soils is from 2 to 3 tons per acre, and in t is ^^ ^ 



Holland or France has been found to die out in the season it has the London market it generally sells .^0 P^^ c^"' '. I^t ofh«! 



- - - ' meadow hay or clover and rye-grass mixed. 1 ne wei^ ^ 



tion should be paid to their quality and cleanness ; the purple 

 colour of cloverseed denotes that it has been ripe and well 

 saved, and the seeds of weeds may be detected in it by narrow 

 inspection, if there be any ; but various noxious weeds are fre- 

 (juently mixed up with seeds of rye-grass, which it is difficult 

 either to discover or to separate from them. Red clover from 



been 



been cut or pasturea, wnue me jZingnsn sccu piuuuccs piaui^ ».x,^v.v... ..^j w. ^v.,^. ^j^ „. — -- ^tnthesoua»» 



which stand over the second, and many of them the third year from clover and rye-grass mixed varies according 10 ^^ ,^ ^^^ 

 (General Report of Scotland, vol. 1. p. 537.) ; thus remaining, the season from one to three tons per English acre, a ^ 



in the latter case, four years in the ground from the time of from the damp ricks; but after being stackea a ^ 



^ spring the weight is found to be diminished 25 or 3U p 



llie value of clover and rye-grass hay in comparison w ^ 

 straw of beans or peas, may be in the proportion oi ^ ^ '^^ 

 with the finest straw or corn crops In the proportion 01 ^^ 



sowinor. 



The after culture of clover and rye-grass is chiefly keeping 



After this the surface 



the ground clear of weeds and stones. 



should be rolled once to smooth it for the scythe. 



This opera- 

 Some 



tion Is best performed in the first dry weather of March, 

 give a top dressing of soot, gypsum, common lime, peat or wood 



ashes at this time or earlier; but where the soil is in good oi^nanj^, aim j^ivcn 



heart, and contains calcareous matter, top-dressing cannot be ther, as no part of 



considered as necessary. exception of lucern 



The lakintT of the clover or clover and rye-grass crop is either marshes, there is n< 



for cutting green for soiling, or cutting green for feeding, or fat- ported as by clover. 



black 

 occ** 



cattle as 3 or 4 of natural grass. And when it is ^^ 



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