RED CLOVER. 85 



sowing just in time for the young plants to begin growth with the first early 

 vegetat.'on. If sown in autumn, especially late, the young plants are very 

 likclv too feeble to survive the winter. If sown at all in autumn, the date 

 should be early enough to give plants a good start. In the warmer parts of 

 our Union, clover is often sown in autumn or in winter. Clover seed is 

 most generally sown where wheat and some Timotby were sown the autumn 

 previous, though it is not unt'requently sown in spring with a thin seeding 

 of oats or barley. It is a common practice with our best farmers to barrow 

 the ground very lightly before sowing the clover seed. This benefits the 

 wheat as well as favors the growth of the clover. 



Where no grass seeds have been previously sown, at the West the farmer 

 sows G, 8, or 10, or even 1-2 pounds of clover seed to the acre, but at the East 

 20 or 30 pounds is not thought too much. 



In Great Britain, which possesses a moist climate favorable to the develop- 

 ment of grasses and clovers, it is the practice to sow much more seed than is 

 usually sown in the United States. 



There are 1G,000 clover seeds to the ounce or 150,000 to the pound. In 

 ten pounds there would be 1,500,000 seeds. In England farmers often sow 

 seeds of grasses and clovers enough, if all grew, to produce 10,878,000 to 

 27,000,000 plants, which is ten to tifteen times the amount thought sullicient 

 by our V-'estern farmers. The Englishman seeks to get large numbers of 

 fine, small stems instead of fewer large, coarse ones. 



In various poi-tious of our country, isolated farmers have sown clover in 

 the spring on well prepared land without the presence of another crop, and 

 they get a crop of grass or clover the first year. This practice needs more 

 thought from the average farmer. 



CARE OF THE YOUNG CLOVER. 



It has often been shown beyond question tluit the young plants will be 

 more certain to live, and will grow faster and become stouter, if not sown 

 with a grain crop. If the wheat is thick and large, the clover is likely to 

 suffer; if the wheat is thin and light, clover is likely to become large and 

 crowd it. 



It must not be forgotten that young clover is most generally greatly bene- 

 fited by even a very light dnsting with gypsum, say one-fourth to half or even 

 a bushel to tlie acre. Sheep and swine must not be allowed to feed young 

 clover, at least very long, because it may be much damaged or even killed. 



Clover needs a little time to get its roots well established, and this can not 

 be done without the aid of green tops. 



Clover fails "to catch " for a great variety of reasons. The soil may be 

 ver/ much "run down"; or the seed is poor, sown too late, the ground too 

 rough, not harrowed nor raked ; the oats or wheat get the start and choke it 

 out; the weather in spring is too dry, too hot; the young plants are fed too 

 closely. The frosts of spring may kill the young plants. 



"WINTER KILLING AND REMEDIES. 



Red clover not unfrequently " winter-kills " or "heaves out," and the 

 dead plants in spring stick up out of the ground several inches, especially 

 in winter when there has been a little snow on the ground and frequent 

 alternations of freezing and thawing. 



To prevent winter killing, see that the plants are well established in 

 autumn and that they are not fed off closely. Thorough tile draining is a, 



