108 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



or nearly four dollars more than the manurial value of English hay, 

 and almost four times as much as oat straw. Red clover con- 

 tains, both in its green and dried state, a large proportion of lime, 

 magnesia, carbonic acid and potash, and also considerable quanti- 

 ties of phosphoric and sulphuric acid, chlorine and nitrogen ; 

 hence its value as a manure. It roots more deeply into the soil 

 than any of the grasses, and yields largely to the acre. It is sup- 

 posed to obtain a very large proportion of its nutriment from the 

 air and from the sub-soil, and it will grow well on almost any dry 

 soil ; and wherever used as such, it has been fonnd to be the best 

 manurial plant known. A well set clover lay imparts to the soil 

 as much benefit as ten loads of common barnj^ard manure to the 

 acre, and sometimes more. 



Now for its hay value. Clover hay contains almost twice the 

 amount of flesh-forming constituents that are contained in good 

 English hay, or 22.5 per cent, against 13.5 per cent.; then clover 

 hay is worth almost twice as much as Englisli hay for 3'oung and 

 growing stock. Again, clover hay contains more of the constitu- 

 ents essential to an increased flow of milk ; consequently clover 

 hay is bettor for milch cows than any other ; but mind you, this 

 clover ha}'- was something more than the dry stalk ; it contained 

 intact all the leaves and blossoms that ever grew upon it. But I 

 discover that this last sentence carries me into the next division 

 of my theme, viz : 



The Time to Cut Hay. 



While gathering statistics for the preparation of this article, I 

 have consulted more than fifty different writers upon this subject, 

 and I find tlie different opinions about as numerous as the wives of 

 Brigham Young. They vary in date from the 13th of June to the 

 1st of August. The date — that is — the month or the day of the 

 month has nothing to do with the subject, it is the grass and of 

 what it composed that should decide the question. 



In the first place, for what do we want the hay ? To what pur- 

 pose do we intend to apply it ? For we want the grass cut when 

 it will best subserve these ends. Tlie dairy man wants hay that 

 will make the most milk, and at the same time keep his cows in 

 good heart. Thp sheep breeder wants it for the same purposes. 

 The breeder of neat stock wants it not only for these purposes, 

 but to keep his young stock on the increase through the winter 

 instead of leaving the burn " spring poor." But we farmers want 



