812 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

 SEEDING CLOVER IN CORN. 



DAVID BROWN OF DODGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA, IN BREEDERS GAZETTE. 



I promised to tell what I find better than a rape crop. I do not despise 

 a crop of rape. I have grown it with success and profit, and where I did 

 not Ivnow better I was highly pleased with it. It may be better for many 

 to grow and more suitable for chem than the crop I am growing now; 

 different conditions malve other requirements. 



In working the cornfield to be seeded to clover it is necessary that 

 the cultivation be level. There is no difficulty in doing this with the 

 implements now in use in cultivating corn. Have the ground clean and 

 free from weeds when the corn comes up and at the time of first culti- 

 vation. This can be done best by the free use of the harrow. If the 

 harrow or weeder be used there will be no weeds in the hill that would 

 require the dirt thrown onto the hill to cover them. Hence level cul- 

 tivation is all that will be required to keep the hills clean. We use a 

 six-tooth cultivator, cultivating three times. If we then have time we 

 take a one-horse cultivator with seven to 12 teeth and go through the 

 corn before seeding. This is to make the surface fine and free from any 

 unevenness that would allow a clover seed to go deeper than one and one- 

 half inches. Keep in mind that clover seed will not sprout if covered 

 too deep. If the surface is sufficiently fine and smooth it does not 

 require this extra going over after the cultivator before sowing, but just 

 sow and go over with the one-horse cultivator after seeding to cover 

 the seed to a depth not to exceed one and one-half inches. The past 

 two seasons our seeding has been done from July 15 to 20, and the clover 

 was ready to turn sheep onto by Oct. 1. being about four to six inches 

 Tiigh. We have seeded with 10 pounds of clover and five pounds of 

 timothy. The timothy is for the purpose of giving a closer bottom and 

 variety for pasture, to hold up the clover while growing and keep it loose 

 to dry out better when the crop is cut for hay. Last summer we seeded 

 with five pounds of mammoth, three pounds common, one pound alsike, 

 one pound alfalfa and five pounds timothy. The stand is all that could 

 be desired. The alfalfa was put in in order to spread the alfalfa germ, 

 so that in case we wished to seed to alfalfa the bacteria would be in 

 the ground. 



The presence of the cornstalks would be considered a drawback. Wc 

 simply break them down early in spring with a heavy harrow, then 

 A'.'atch our opportunity some time about the middle of April when the 

 stalks are dry and cross again with the harrow. This breaks up thor- 

 oughly the stalks and leaves them flat on the ground. Any places where 

 the first harrowing left the stalks bunched these bunches are scattered 

 by the second harrowing. In harvesting the crop some stalks will be 

 taken up especially if a steel rake is used. This is very little inconven- 

 ience if the hay is handled by machinery, and there is no loss If the 

 crop is to be fed out on the farm, but if an adjustable side rake is used 

 no stalks need be lifted by the loader. 



