The Bulletin. 15 



to give it an application of lime or ashes before sowing the seed. The 

 lime or ashes should be harrowed into the soil well before sowing the 

 seed. A top dressing of stable manure during the winter will be very 

 helpful to the clover. This should be applied very evenly and without 

 clods or lumps to smother the clover plants. A manure spreader is very 

 desirable for this purpose. For the effects of such top dressing see 

 Tig. 7. 



Fig. 7.— Red clover field, showing the effect of top-dressing with manure. The area in the immediate 

 foreground received no manure; the area immediately behind received a light application, resulting 

 in a very vigorous stand of clover. 



U. S. Bulletin No. 455. 



• Sowing Seed. 



Whenever possible the seed should be sowed when there is sufficient 

 moisture in the soil to cause germination. The seed may be covered 

 from one to one and a half inches. If dry weather is anticipated, it will 

 be advisable to give them the deeper covering. 



If Red Clover has not grown on the land for several years, it will be 

 well to inoculate the seed as advised under the head "Inoculation." 

 Absence of bacteria in the soil has been the cause of many failures in 

 growing clover. 



Where clover is sown with wheat in the spring, it will be well to 

 run a mower over it if weeds become troublesome after the wheat has 

 been cut; but the cutter bar of the mower should be raised so as to 

 cut the weeds and not materially interfere with the clover. A slight 

 clipping of the tops of the clover will do no injury, but to cut it low 

 might destroy the stand. 



Clover Hay. 



The usual time of cutting red clover for hay is just after it is past 

 full bloom, or the heads just beginning to turn brown. When cut be- 

 fore it is in full bloom it is quite sappy and harder to cure, though the 



