THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VI. 281 



kinds of farm animals as will clover if it is cut at the right time and after- 

 wards properly cured. Those who have observed the nature of a clover 

 plant will have noticed that the head on top of the main stem comes out 

 first, while the two lateral heads come into bloom from ten days to two 

 weeks later. It is a very common thing to hear the advice given to cut 

 clover when it is in full bloom, but in our estimation the "full bloom" 

 period is somewhat an indefinite term. Some seasons clover may appear 

 to be in full bloom for a period of about a month, and yet during this time 

 the quality of the hay may have materially deteriorated. When the first 

 heads have attained their full size and bloom clover is in a very succulent 

 cl ndition, and if cut in this stage will be somewhat difficult to cure, owing 

 to its large water content. If climatic conditions were favorable at such 

 time and other operations on the farm so adjusted as to allow a few days' 

 haying when the clover is in this condition it would be advisible to begin 

 cutting. But unless the weather were well settled and the corn ground in 

 ideal condition it would be much better to delay cutting until the first 

 heads were just beginning to turn brown. At this stage the second pair of 

 heads will be coming in bloom. While in this condition clover could still 

 be made into nutritious, palatable hay. There might be the slightest 

 deterioration in the quality, owing to a somewhat increased percentage 

 of crude fiber, although the lessening of the water content would so mate- 

 rially assist in the curing process that the lessening of the value of the 

 hay would be an unimportant factor. 



To leave clover much longer and allow the first heads to turn coml- 

 pletely brown is to cause a decrease in the per cent of digestible protein 

 and also an increase in the amount of crude fiber present. On the other 

 hand, hay made from overripe clover is not nearly so palatable, and as a 

 result is not so freely eaten by animals. 



HOW TO SECURE A STAND OF CLOVER. 



Wallaces 1 Farmer. 



We have written so much about clover growing for the last fifteen yeai ^ 

 that we had assumed that the farmers who had been reading after us 

 know everything that we knew about it, and possibly more too. When, 

 however, we attend an institute, we did last week, the same old questions 

 come up. The farmers want to hear that clover story once more. We 

 will try and make it so plain and simple that a child can understand it. 



First, secure seed that is not spoiled; in other words, seed with 

 germinating power; or to put it plainer still, clover that will grow. Any 

 clover seed will grow if you give it a chance. Any clover seed will grow 

 if it has not been frozen or otherwise spoiled. To know just what per cent 

 will grow, get :. soup plate from your wife, fill it with sand; then pour 

 water on it till it runs off, then count out 100 clover seeds and put them 

 on the sand. Borrow a pie pan from her, turn it upside down over it and 

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