The Question Box. 303 



is the lady who does not fine her flower seed bed with a rake 

 before sowing the seed? Surely, there is no more vitality in 

 clover than flower seeds. 



What rariety of alfalfa is best? How much seed should be sown per 

 acre, and how should it be sown? 



Mr. Smith. — I know of but one variety of alfalfa. It has a 

 small, purple blossom. We have eight acres of it at the station 

 farm at Geneva, and feed 25 cattle fromi it. 



Will the feeding of alfalfa cause " bloat " ? 



Mr. Smith. — Yes. So will the feeding of too much clover. Al- 

 falfa, in fact, is one of the clovers. 



When do you cut it? 



Mr. Smith. — Just before the blossom forms. If left till a later 

 date it will become hard and woody. 



Do you grow crimson clover on the State farm? 



Mr. Smith. — Yes. We grow it in the orchards. Last year it 

 was a beautiful sight when in blossom, about the middle of May. 

 We sow the crimson clover and winter vetch about the first of 

 August, as a cover crop, on our plowed land. 



What about the vetches? How many varieties are there? 



Mr. Smith. — I do not know. The vetch belongs to the pea 

 family — ^is therefore a legume — and has the power of gathering 

 nitrogen from the atmosphere. Crimson clover has the same 

 power, and an additional value because it grows at a very low 

 temperature, therefore, very late in the fall. We grow it as a 

 cover crop — ^to plow under in the spring — not for hay, nor for 

 pasture. 



How shall we grow clover on some farms where we cannot get a catch? 



Mr. Smith. — There are two causes: An acid oil, or want of 

 humus. Test the soil with blue litmus paper. If there is acid 

 in the soil the color of the paper will change to red. An applicp 

 tion of lime will sweeten it. If the cause is a lack of humus, the 

 plowing under of rye or barn manure will furnish it. There 

 must be humus present to hold moisture, to unlock plant toofl 



