402 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



CURING SWEET CLOVER HAY. 



Sweet clover is more diflScult to cure into hay than either alfalfa or 

 red clover. This is largely due to the large amount of moisture con- 

 tained within the plant at the time of cutting, causing the shattering 

 of the leaves from the stems before the stems have cured out. That the 

 leaves constitute the best part of the hay is shown by the following 

 analyses. 



TABLE 5 AVERAGE ANALYSES OF THE LEAVES AND STEMS OP FOT'R SAMPLES OP 



WELL CURED BIENNIAL WHITE SWEET CLOVER HAY (1). ANALYSES MADE 

 BY' THE BUREAU OP CHBAIISTRY, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OP AGRI- 

 CULTURE. 



The samples represented the first cutting the second season. The 

 protein content of the leaves is nearly three times that of the stems, 

 while the crude fiber content of the stems is over four times that of 

 the leaves. 



Kig. 5. Shoes such as these may be nuule at any blaclismitb shop nnd are ns' d to raise the 

 cutting bar iu order tliat sweet clover hay may be cut from sis to eight inches above the 

 ground. 



One of the most successful methods of curing sweet clover hay is 

 to allow the plants to wilt in the swath, then windrow with a side de- 

 livery hay rake and a few hours later place in small upright cocks. 

 The hay should be in cocks before the leaves have dried out sufficiently 

 to crumble or shatter. The hay is then left in the cock until cured 

 sufficiently to put into the barn or stack. This may be only two or three 

 days or may be two weeks depending upon weather conditions. The 

 small cocks may be handled with practically no loss of leaf. 



