PLANT FOOD 43 



to different conditions of soil and climate. Of these 

 varieties the mammoth red, the medium red and the 

 white clovers are most generally grown. The medium 

 red clover is the variety which is most generally grown 

 as a fertilizer for corn land. 



The methods of seeding clover vary with the 

 section of the country in which the clover is grown. 

 There are three general methods of seeding for ferti- 

 lizing purposes : I, with nurse crop ; 2, in corn, at the 

 time of the last cultivation when the corn is laid by; 

 and 3, alone, that is, without a nurse crop. Of these 

 methods, the seeding with some nurse crop is in most 

 general use. The kind of nurse crop varies with the 

 agriculture of the country. In the great corn belt of 

 Illinois, Iowa and in the eastern portions of Kansas 

 and Nebraska, seeding clover with oats is the most 

 common practice. 



In this case the land is prepared for oats, usually 

 by disking crosswise of the corn rows, if the land was 

 previously in corn, then seeding the oats, and disking 

 the field again the other way. The seedbed is then 

 harrowed once with the ordinary floating harrow and 

 the clover seeded, after which it is harrowed again 

 crosswise of the previous harrowing. This method of 

 preparing the seedbed provides a firm soil for the 

 growth of the oats, which is to be desired, and also 

 puts the ground into the best possible shape for the 

 growth of the clover crop. In such cases the oats 

 should be seeded medium to thin, as a very dense 

 growth of oats interferes with the growth of the clover 

 crop. With the ordinary varieties of oats, a seeding 

 of one and one-half to two bushels of well-cleaned 

 seed is sufficient. This will give a good crop of oats, 

 protect the clover and not seriously interfere with its 

 growth. 



