PLANTS OF THE CLOVER FAMILY. 73 



more sunlight may shine upon it to make the plants 

 strong. But if the season should prove moist, the 

 oats may be allowed to stand until they have 

 matured. 



At the Central Minnesota experiment station 

 the author has had much success in getting a catch 

 of clover seed, and also of timothy seed, by sowing 

 these along with a mixed crop of peas and oats, 

 grown to provide summer forage for sheep. The 

 soil is a sandy loam, light enough in texture to wash 

 easily. The clover seed was sown broadcast at the 

 same time as the peas and oats, and covered with 

 the harrow. The system of depasturing will be 

 described in Chapter VIII. And it is probable that 

 such a method of obtaining a stand of clover will be 

 found even better adapted to the dark, spongy soils 

 of the prairie, whether the clover is sown along with 

 peas and oats, other cereals, or rape, and whether the 

 pastures thus furnished are grazed down by cattle, 

 sheep or swine. The reasons for this belief are logi- 

 cal. The tramping of the ground firms the soil, and 

 so lessens the escape of moisture by evaporation; 

 and the removal of the nurse crop by depasturing 

 leaves more moisture for the clover than would be 

 left to it if the crop were not grazed down, and also 

 lets in sunlight to strengthen the crop. 



Clover seed may be sown broadcast by hand, 

 with any form of hand seeder that has been found 

 suitable, or with an attachment to the grain drill. It 

 is sometimes mixed with the seed grain and is sown 

 along with it, but this method of sowing is not to be 

 commended. The clover, being the smaller seed, 

 runs out more quickly than the grain, hence the 

 " seeding " is irregular. More commonly it is con- 



