344 FIELD CROPS 



alfalfa, but about the same quantity of the other nutrients 

 (Section 330). It is best for pasture along with timothy. 



455. Harvesting the Seed Crop. The production of seed 

 is usually possible wherever clover can be grown successfully. 

 Except in the extreme northern part of the clover region, it is 

 customary to utilize the second growth for seed production, 

 because it is more Hkely to produce a profitable crop. To 

 have the seed mature in good weather and escape insect pests 

 which may be serious a little later, the first crop is cut a few 

 days earlier, when the second crop is to be cut for seed, than 

 would otherwise be done. In the North, where the growing 

 season is short, there is not time to grow a crop of hay and 

 one of seed; so the early growth is pastured or clipped back 

 till about the middle of June, and the plants are then allowed 

 to bloom and produce seed. This is the practice to some 

 extent where there is ample time for two crops to mature, as 

 the attacks of the clover midge and other insects are averted 

 and much larger yields of seed are obtained. 



Clover seed should be cut when the heads have turned 

 brown, and the seed is in the hard dough stage. If cut earlier, 

 shriveled seed will result; while, if cutting is delayed, many 

 of the heads will break off in handling. Unless an average 

 of twenty-five or more seeds can be rubbed out of the 

 mature heads, it will not usually pay to cut the crop for seed; 

 it should be cut for hay instead. The seed crop should be 

 handled as little as possible to prevent loss of the heads. 

 The usual method is to cut with a self-rake reaper or with 

 a mower with buncher attached. Either of these imple- 

 ments places the clover behind the machine where it will not 

 be trampled by the horses on the next round. It is then put 

 into cocks for curing, and within a week or two, if the weather 

 is favorable, it is ready to be hulled. Clover seed is seldom 

 stacked, for too much of the seed would be lost in the extra 

 handUng. The clover huller is quite similar to the thresh- 

 ing machine, but has an extra set of rasps for rubbing the 



