778 Grasses and Leguminous Crops in New York 



leaves will dry flat and turn water so well that it will seldom be 

 necessary to open the cocks after rains. Sweet clover cures very 

 slowly in the cock, but when cured the leaves are all intact. 



The second crop the second season comes from the buds and 

 young shoots left on the stubble instead of from the crowns of the 

 plants, as is the case with alfalfa and red clover. If a second crop 

 is to be expected, the plant should be cut sufficiently high so that 

 one or two buds or young shoots will be left on each stub. 



Sweet Clover as an Ensilage Crop 



Sweet clover promises to become an important ensilage crop in 

 some sections of the country. The first crop the second season 

 may produce about half as much silage per acre as corn. In 

 addition to this, the second crop may be cut for either hay or seed. 

 When the plants are run into the silo, they should be cut prefer- 

 ably with a grain binder, as the bundles can be handled much 

 more easily than loose plants. As the crop contains too much juice 

 to be run into the silo immediately after cutting, it is well to per- 

 mit the bundles to remain in the field until the plants are wilted 

 thoroughly. Chemical analyses and feeding experiments indicate 

 that sweet-clover silage is equal to corn silage as a feed. No diffi- 

 culty has been experienced in getting stock to eat it. 



Sweet Clover in Rotations 



Since sweet clover is a biennial, it readily lends itself to short 

 rotations. Seeded in the early spring, either alone or with a nurse 

 crop, it produces its largest growth the following season and is 

 ready either to turn under as a green-manure crop or to be utilized 

 for pasture, hay, or ensilage. In many respects it is similar to 

 red clover. This feature allows it to be used in short rotations 

 with most farm crops. On many soils where red clover or alfalfa 

 does not thrive sweet clover has proved to be an excellent 

 substitute. 



SEED PRODUCTION 



In harvesting the seed it is important that the plants be cut 

 when approximately three-fourths of the seed pods have turned 

 brown to black. There will be some flowers and many immature 



