Cultivation of Arable Land. Red Clever After-management of. 337 



lying expofcd for fome time upon the furface of the land before being harrowed in, 

 efpecially if much wet fhould fall. 



With fome it is a practice when the land is intended for the purpofe of early 

 pafhirage, and in fome cafes where the object is hay, 10 fow rye, rib, and other 

 fimilar graffes with the clover. In the firft intention the practice may be benefi 

 cial, as the rye grafs rifes early, and may contribute to afford a more full and 

 better herbage for the (lock at fuch periods, efpecially on the iater forts of foil j* 

 but with the latter view it mould perhaps feldom be made ufe of, as the clover 

 will in general produce a fufficiently abundant crop of itfelf : and from other 

 forts of plants being mixed with it, on account of their drying in an unequal man 

 ner, it may fuftain injury as hay. It is probably for fome reafon of this fort that 

 fuch clover hay as is mixed with other graffes is lefs faleable, and of confiderably 

 Jefs value in the London markets, than that which confifts folely of clover. f Some 

 cultivators, however, fuppofe, that by blending rye grafs with clover, in a fmall pro 

 portion, a ftrength and body is given to the crop.* It has been fuggefted as an 

 improvement where rye grafs is mixed with clover, to fow the latter a week or 

 two before the other, as from the clover plants having a tender, weak ftem in their 

 early growth, they may in that way be prevented from being injured by thofe of 

 the rye grafs clafping round and (hading them.|| 



If the crop be deligned for cutting green for the purpofe of foiling animals, it 

 would feem to be the beft method not to fow any other fort of grafs with the clover, 

 as no advantage can be gained in that vvay. 



After-management. Where the feed has been put in on a proper foil in a fuitable 

 ftate of preparation, little attention will be neceffary to the crop afterwards. But 

 as the young plants while in the ftate of feedling-Ieaf are liable to be attacked by 

 flugs or other infects, in the manner of turnips, by which the plants are often 

 greatly thinned and deftroyed, the crops ought to be carefully attended to in their 

 early growth. Many acres have fometimes been completely ruined in the courfe 

 of a few nights .^ Such effects are to be prevented by putting in the crops as foon 

 as poffible, that they may become fufficiently ftrong and vigorous before the 

 dry weather fets in, and by the ufe of fuch means as have been advifed for 

 turnips. 



With fome it is the cuftom to apply manure over the clover crop immediately 

 after the grain has been taken from the land, which in foils that are not in a good 



* Marshall s Rural Economy of the Midland Counties. tCorreded Report of Middlefex, 

 Corrected Report of the Weft Riding of Yorkfhire. || Correftcd Report of Perthfliire. Ibid. 



5T Corrected Report of Middlefex. 



