102 



ELEME}iTPy OF FARM PRACTICE 



are white, and they can 

 usually be seen at any 

 time during the summer 

 from June 1st until it 

 freezes up in the fall. 

 The white clover is of 

 very little value as a hay 

 crop, as it grows too 

 short. It is common on 

 lawns and in old pas- 

 tures and is a valuable 

 plant for such places. 

 Getting a Catch of 

 Clover. — Difficulty is 

 sometimes experienced in 

 getting a good catch of 

 clover. As clover grows 

 slowly the first year it 

 is sown, the grain crop 

 with which it grows is 

 liable to crowd it pretty 

 hard; and when the 

 grain is cut the hot sun 

 is pretty hard on the 

 small plants, especially 

 if the weather is dry. 

 Clover seed should be 

 sown only on a fine, mel- 

 low rich, well- prepared 

 seed bed. Land well 

 manured, planted to corn 

 and well cultivated, then well disked the following spring, 

 and sown to grain, is in fine condition for clover seed. 



If clover seed is sown on poor land the chances of get- 

 ting a catch are greatly increased if a light dressing of man- 

 ure can be applied soon after the seed is sown. 

 Questions: 



1. Name the four varieties of clover common in the Middle West. 



2. Which two are very much ahke? 



3. Describe the leaf, stem and blossom of each of the last three. 



4. What are annual, biennial and perennial plants? 



Figure 44. — Root systems of alsike and white 

 clover plants. 1. Alsike. (Note small 

 taproot and comparatively large laterals.) 

 2. White. (Note creeping stem rooted at 

 different places, and fine fibrous roots.) 



