HAY AND PASTURE CROPS 105 



the air and to pass it on to the plants on which they are 

 growing. In this way a soil lacking in nitrogen may be 

 made richer in this element by growing a legume crop. 

 This is true even though the crop be removed from the 

 field, as the roots and stubble left are rich in nitrogen. 

 Nitrogen, when bought in commercial fertilizers, costs 

 about 18c. per pound. A farmer, by growing clover or 

 some other legume crop, can add enough nitrogen to the 

 soil to grow several crops of corn or grain, besides his 

 legume crop. 

 Questions: 



1. Which variety of clover, medium red or alsike, has the heavier 

 root system? 



2. In what ways is a clover crop beneficial to the soil? 



3. What enables clover and other plants belonging to the same 

 family to make use of the free nitrogen in the air? 



Arithmetic: 



1. What is the value of 150 lbs. of nitrogen at 18c. per pound? 

 (Note: An acre of clover may add 150 lbs. of nitrogen to the soil.) 



2. How many crops of wheat, each crop removing 25 lbs. of 

 nitrogen per acre, would use the nitrogen added by a crop of clover? 



3. If an acre of clover yields 3,500 lbs. of hay the first cutting, 

 and 2,500 lbs. the second, what is the value of the hay at $10 per ton? 



CURING HAY 



The Weather. — The quality of hay and its value as 

 food depends very largely on the way it is cured. Since 

 hay on a great many farms forms a large part of the winter 

 food for stock, it is important that it be cured in the best 

 possible way. The weather has a great deal to do with 

 the curing of hay, and some seasons it is practically impos- 

 sible to get hay well cured. But there are certain principles 

 involved that, if followed, will usually result in a better 

 quality of hay than is secured by methods commonly fol- 

 lowed. The suggestions given below apply to clover, but, if 

 followed, will give good results with any heavy crop of hay. 



Time to Cut. — While hay that is cut when quite ripe 

 yields more per acre and is easier to cure than earlier cut 

 hay, it is much less digestible, less palatable, and contains 

 a smaller proportion of protein, which is the most valuable 

 and costly element in hay. Experiments show that the 

 greatest amount of digestible food is secured when hay is 

 cut at about the time it is in full bloom. With clover this 



