PLANTS OF THE CLOVER FAMILY. 9 1 



tility shall be present in the soil or supplied to it to 

 give the clover a good start. The average prairie 

 soils do not seem to furnish the proper food con- 

 stituents, and in stiff clay soils the roots of the clover 

 cannot gather food with sufficient haste. 



Preparing the Soil. In preparing the soil for 

 crimson clover much will depend upon the condi- 

 tions. When sown amid corn or cotton the cultiva- 

 tion given to these crops is a sufficient preparation 

 of the soil. After potatoes and early market garden 

 crops, cultivating and then harrowing the ground 

 should put it in good condition to receive the seed. 

 When sown after grain, success has followed simply 

 harrowing the land, and in other instances first cul- 

 tivating and then harrowing it ; but more commonly 

 there is hazard in sowing it thus. In orchards in full 

 bearing the cultivation that is usually given to the 

 trees is a sufficient preparation. In preparing the soil 

 the aim should be to secure a fine and moist seed bed, 

 hence when the land is plowed in making it ready for 

 crimson clover, a free use should be made of the 

 roller and harrow, unless peculiar conditions, as ex- 

 cessive rainfall, should render this work unnecessary. 



Sowing. Crimson clover seed is more gen- 

 erally sown from July ist to October 1st, according 

 to the locality. Ordinarily the more southerly the 

 latitude the later may the seed be sown without the 

 hazard of being winterkilled. If sown in the early 

 spring the growth made is seldom satisfactory, and 

 the presence of the clover hinders the growing of 

 another crop the same season. The seed is sown by 

 the same methods as other kinds of clover seed ; that 

 is to say, it may be broadcasted by hand or other- 

 wise and covered with the harrow, or it may be sown 



