CLOVER HAY. 289 



the nourishment of succeeding crops. A crop of clover 

 plowed in as a fertilizer adds to the available plant food im 

 the soil as much as 20 loads of farm manure, and the large 

 percentage of nitrogen in its composition makes it equally 

 valuable for the feeding of animals and the production of 

 manure. Its culture is too well known to need any detailed 

 description, but it is perhaps proper to remark here, that 

 the thorough fitting of the soil for the seed is of the greatest 

 importance for its successful growth. 



The period of cutting clover for hay is very important- 

 because of the change in its character as it approaches ma- 

 turity. This change is shown by the following table. 

 COMPOSITION OF CLOVER HAY. 



% 02 



O ^. ce tko <3 ** 



Red clover hay. es 



ffS "Qqa q g g fe % 



Cut in full blossom 77.1 13.4 29.9 3.2 35.8 



Cut when ripe 77.7 9.4 20.3 2.0 48.0 



The very great difference in digestible nutriment is spe- 

 cially noticeable; being 50 per cent, in the nitrogenous mat- 

 ter the protein and nearly 50 yer cent, in the carbona- 

 ceous or fat producing matter, and in the fat. This shows 

 in a most conspicuous manner the more valuable character 

 of clover at its blossoming stage, when it is the most useful 

 for feeding or for a green manure. 



Fresh seed only should be sown, and from 6 to 12 Ibs. 

 per acre is required, as the land may be more.or less fertile; 

 the richer land requiring the least seed. Clover seed should 

 be saved for home use by every farmer. The seed is con- 

 tained in the aftermath, which is left to grow and blossom 

 and ripen ; which it does in September. The clover is then 

 mown and the straw is left on the field in winrows until it 

 is perfectly dry, when it is taken to a suitable place and 

 thrashed, the dry pods separating with great readiness, and 

 the seed being easily freed when the heads are in this dry 

 state. The seed may be partially cleared from the pods, if 

 the straw is thrashed in a machine, and crowded in so as to 

 rub the heads and break up the chaff. This is much helped 



