364- Cultivation of Arable Land. Red Clover After-management of. 



advantage from the foiling with this or other crops, convenient covers, fheds or 

 other fuitable houfes are abfoluteiy neceflary. 



The practice of feeding down or pafturing clover crops with live (lock, though 

 it may be advantageous in many cafes, efpecially where iheep-hufbandry forms a 

 principal object, always requires to be conducted with care and attention, both. 

 in refpect to the plants and the animals that are to be fed upon them. 



From the tender nature of the clover plant it mould feidorn be eaten on the land 

 bythe heavier forts of cattle, as, from the greedy manner in which they feed, many of 

 the plants are pulled up, and others, as has been feen, greatly injured or dedroyed 

 by being bruifed in their treading, efpecially as they protrude their young (hoots., 

 Horfes are particularly objected to on this account by many.* The mod appro 

 priate fort of (lock is obvioufly that of fheep ; but where the foils are of the drier 

 kind, the lighter forts of (lock of other defcriptions may be occafionally admitted, 

 fuch as calves, foals, and young beads. And as pigs are fond of the clover plant, 

 and thrive well upon it, they may fometimes be admitted with advantage. In the 

 practice of lamb-fuckling it is an ufeful application of the young clovers to turn the 

 ewes upon them, as they afford a fort of pafturage which has much effect in increaf- 

 ing the flow of milk. They may likewife be applied to the fattening of (heep in 

 April and May; and be fed by the (heep intended for turnips, in the autumn, till they 

 are ready, with much profit, f No fort of (lock Ihould however be kept upon crops of 

 clover when the land is foft, wet, or poachy. In fomeofthe fouthern didricts, 

 where it is the cuflom to eat down the young clovers by (heep, it is indeed ufual 

 to choofe a dry feafon for the purpofe, the flock being removed in cafe the 

 land becomes foft and wet.f Where this fort of (lock is employed, it may be the 

 mod fafe practice not to permit the animals to continue too long upon the land- 

 as by eating the plants too clofely they may fudain much mifchief. 



It is conceived by fome that treading the foil lightly while the lands are dry 

 may be of great utility to the dover plants by forcing the earth to their roots, and 

 in that way protecting and rendering them more capable of refilling the effects of 

 frod in the winter feafon. It has likewife been fuggeded that the eating of the 

 weak, lateral (hoots, that were thrown out while under the fhade of the grain 

 crops, may be ierviceable by incrcafing the drength of the plants, and enabling 

 therp to withdand the frods, as well as to (hoot more drongly ia the 

 fpring.f 



* Experienced Farmer, vol. I. + Middlefex Report. 



J Marshall s Rural Economy of the Southern Counties. ^ Ibid. 



