Clover 683 



Winterkilling may also occur on land devoid of lime, on which 

 land clover does not make a healthy growth. 



There are several clover diseases but none are more than locally 

 injurious, and when present there is nothing to do but cut what 

 clover there is or pasture it and plow the field for another crop. 



Of all the clover insects the root borer is perhaps the worst, 

 and it is very generally prevalent in Xew York. This small 

 beetle deposits eggs from which hatch small larvae and these enter 

 the root and crown of the plant. When the injury is bad the clover 

 wilts and dies. The attack is usually on the second season's clover 

 and hence in Xew York State it seldom pays to try to keep red 

 clover more than two seasons. Some leaf-eating insects may be 

 locally serious and, if so, the croj) should be cut or pastured at 

 once. The greatest enemies to the seed crop are the clover flower 

 midge and the clover seed chalcid. These are minute wasp-like 

 insects which deposit eggs in the buds or in the 3'oung seeds. They 

 are commonly present in both the first and second crop of bloom 

 and the only remedy is to cut the first crop a week or two earlier 

 than usual — that is, before full bloom. At this time the maggots 

 are in the flowers but are killed by the drying of the hay, and there 

 will be few mature flies to lay eggs in the second crop. 



XOTE. — For treatment of clover diseases, see article entitled " Diseases of 

 Alfalfa and Clover," p. 2898. 



