7 70 Grasses and Leguminous Crops in New York 



subsoil and at least part of this is left in the surface soil when 

 the roots decay. 



Siueet Clover as a Padurc Crop 



Sweet clover makes excellent pasture for horses, sheep, cattle, 

 and hogs (Figure 692). Probably the easiest way to have stock 

 acquire an appetite for this crop is to commence pasturing them 

 on it when the plants are small. A sufficient number of animals 

 should be kept in a sweet clover pasture to keep it grazed closely. 

 This will prevent the stems from becoming large and woody and 

 will also induce an abundant growth of young shoots. A good 

 stand will usually provide sufficient pasturage for one mature steer 

 or from 20 to 30 shoats to the acre. When pasturing upon this 

 plant, stock make gains that compare favorably with those obtained 

 on either rape or red clover. When pigs are turned on sweet 

 clover, they should receive in addition to the pasture a daily grain 

 ration of flbout two pounds of grain per hundred-weight of live 

 stock. Sweet clover is more drought-resistant than alfalfa and 

 will therefore produce considerable pasturage during midsummer 

 droughts, as well as early in the spring and late in the fall. 



There is but little danger of bloating when cattle or sheep are 

 pasturing on sweet clover, but it is safest to avoid turning the stock 

 into a clover pasture when it is wet with dew or rain or when the 

 animals are unusually hungry. 



Sweet Clover as a Hay Crop 

 If hay is desired, sweet clover should be cut when the plants 

 have made no more than a 32-inch growth. At this time the leaves 

 are most abundant and the stems have not yet become woody. If 

 the crop is not cut until flower buds appear, the hay will be coarse 

 and stemmy and the plants are likely to be killed. The principal 

 difficulty in utilizing sweet clover for hay in humid regions is the 

 fact that the succulent growth is difficult to cure into a good quality 

 of hay, as it is necessary to cut it at a time when weather condi- 

 tions are likely to be unfavorable. The hay should be raked into 

 windrows just before the leaves begin to cure and immediately 

 placed in cocks of such a size that they can be pitched on the wagon 

 entire when cured. When the hay is cocked at this time, the 



