CLOVER CULTURE. 85 



harvesting it, pay a good interest on the investment and a much 

 larger interest in the way of protecting the crop after it is 

 harvested. The damage to clover hay in the stack under the 

 most favorable conditions is not less than twelve per cent, in 

 the first three weeks, even if in that time there should not have 

 been a drop of rain. This arises from the heating of the hay, 

 (which is unavoidable) the deposit of the ascending moisture 

 on the outside of the stack during the night and the consequent 

 bleaching of the entire outer surface. The loss from this 

 cause has been quite fully investigated by some of our Experi- 

 ment Stations, and we think that in stating it at twelve per 

 cent, we are making a very conservative estimate. It is pos- 

 sible to erect a hay shed that will hold fifty tons of hay, with- 

 out cattle shedding around it, for $100. With this the farm- 

 er does not need to wait for settled weather and can stow 

 away a load whenever it is cured. The advantages are none 

 the less in feeding it out in the winter. There is no waste in 

 stacks partially used, no stack bottoms wet with rain or snow, 

 no loss in hauling from the stack to the feed yard, and we 

 therefore urge every farmer who wishes to make or feed hay 

 economically to provide himself with one of these useful 

 buildings. 



We ha,ve emphasized the importance of the use of the 

 tedder. There are years when it will not be needed, as, for 

 example, when by reason of the lateness of the season the 

 corn cannot be laid by in time to secure a hay crop in the best 

 condition, or when by reason of the lack of hay weather the 

 crop is cut late, or when the crop is light or toolarge to secure 

 itatitsbest, butwestrongly urge every farmer who wishes to se- 

 cure a crop of clover hay that will feed out satisfactorily, to pro- 

 vide himself with one of these useful implements. After sever- 

 al years' experience we would not undertake to secure a large 

 crop of heavy clover at the proper season without one. VVe 

 know of no implement that will so well secure thorough and 

 even curing of the hay and guard against both the over-cur- 

 ing that leads to the loss of the leaves and the wet, un cured 

 bunches that do so much to set up destructive fermentation in 

 the mow and induce, under certain conditions, spontaneous 

 combustion in the barn. 



The destruction of many barns from mysterious and un- 

 known causes since the introduction of clover culture in the 

 West renders a discussion of the subject a fitting conclusion 

 to a chapter on curing clover. Too many of these barns have 

 been destroyed by fire to allow the farmer to regard the prob- 



