REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 213 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



tivating and harrowing must be gauged by the growth. If possible, every leaf must 

 be cut off and kept out of sight, and all vegetation brought to the surface to be dried 

 by the sun. This dead but valuable material may, during the autumn, be ploughed 

 under to decay and add to the fertility of the soil. By the next spring this land should 

 be in perfect condition for sowing. The best time to sow is as soon as the ground can 

 be got ready in spring; the seed will then germinate quickly. As sainfoin is a quick- 

 growing and deep-rooting plant, the roots keep going down into the moist earth so 

 that dry weather will not have much effect upon it. If sowai with a nurse crop, 

 oats, wheat or barley may be used, but the latter is preferable, as it can be harvested 

 earliest. Not more than half the ordinary amount of grain should be sown per acre 

 with this clover, and better results are usually obtained by sowing it alone. It may 

 be sown broadcast, then harrowed in and rolled so as to render the surface smooth, 

 or it may be sown with the ordinary grain drill with grass seed attachment. The seed 

 should be dropped in front of the drill and the land should afterwards be rolled. The 

 small seeds will thus be covered, and, the surface being smooth, the young plants will 

 come up quickly and regularly. For this crop land may be prepared by late summer- 

 fallowing, or, what is even better, the seeding may follow a hoed crop; but, whatever 

 the preparation of the land, it must be clean, and, as the seeds are small, it is essential 

 to have it in a good state of tilth. 



This plant has been grown on the experimental plots at the Central Experimental 

 Farm for several years. The oldest plot now living has been standing for seven years, 

 a second plot for two years, and the third plot was sown in the spring of 1903. The 

 plot which has been growing for seven years is now thin and will soon be ploughed 

 down. It would probably be the most economical plan to plough down this clover after 

 three years and resow. As is well known, clovers of all kinds are the most valuable 

 plants which can be grown and iDloughed down as fertilizers, and the benefit of plough- 

 ing under this clover would more than pay for the resowing. 



The Botanist's records of the experimental plots show that Sainfoin sown May 

 14, came into bloom on August 12 of the same year, was cut for hay on August 25, 

 and gave a yield per acre of 1 ton 1,700 lbs. of cured hay. The second growth of the 

 first year should he allowed to stand over for the winter as a protection to the roots. 

 In the second year the plants came into bloom on June 1st and lasted up till the 

 24th of that month, when the plot was cut for hay. These dates might have been ex- 

 tended, had the plants been grown merely for honey; but, as they were at that time 

 in the best condition for hay, they were cut for that purpose. If the crop had been 

 left to stand longer, the hay would have been too woody. The yield of this first 

 cutting was 2 tons 200 lbs. of cured hay per acre — a rather small crop, due to the ex- 

 cessive drought, which lasted up till June 12. The second bloom was on July 27, and 

 lasted until August 17, when it was again cut for hay, giving 2 tons 1,400 lbs. of 

 cured hay, or a total yield for the year of 4 tons 1,600 lbs. A third crop, which will 

 provide some pasture, is allowed to remain on the ground for the winter, or in very 

 favourable seasons might be again cut before winter, although this is not advisable. 



From what we have seen of this clover, it is believed that farmers and bee- 

 keepers would find it profitable to grow it. 



HAY AND PASTURE MIXTURES. 



In tlie last annual report the results of growing several mixtures of grasses and 

 clovers were published. These experiments were again observed during the past sea- 

 son, and the yields given herewith are from the same plots which were sown in 1901. 

 Last season should have been the large crop from these plots; but, unfortunately, 

 the yields were very much lessened by the exceptionally dry weather which prevailed 

 in spring at the time wdien meadows most require copious moisture. The yields for 

 1903 are given, together with those of the previous year, for comparison. It will be 

 seen that several of these mixtures give heavy yields of excellent hay, and all of them 

 are worthy of the consideration of the farmers of Canada. 



