582 THE farmers' handbook. 



years, and then throwing the land out of cultivation for a couple of years, 

 allowing it to run to grass. The resultant grass includes a very large 

 proportion of legumes, such as Medicago denticulata, M. minima, and Ball 

 clover (Trifolvum glomeratum). The increased yields in the succeeding crop 

 of wheat, after ploughing in such humus, laden with nitrogen, is very 

 marked. The result could, however, be obtained much more quickly if the 

 seed of such legumes as Ball clover and Burr trefoil were sown instead of 

 allowing them to come spontaneously, and probably one year's rotation would 

 suffice if such treatments were adopted. 



Clover Hay and Silage. 



Clover, particularly the Red, Crimson and Berseem varieties, makes ex- 

 cellent hay, rich in protein and very palatable to stock. It has been 

 ascertained that 1 ton of well-cured clover hay is worth, for feeding purposes, 

 nearly half as much as a ton of bran. Clover hay, fed with cereal or grass 

 hay, provides an ideally-balanced ration, particularly suitable for young 

 stock and dairy cattle. Care, however, has to be exercised in curing the hay, 

 as over exposure to the hot sun produces extreme brittleness in the leaves. 



Clover also produces silage of fair quality. Investigations as to the com- 

 parative values of clover hay and clover silage have resulted in the following 

 conclusions* : — 



1. The most important chemical changes occurring during the ensiling of 

 Red clover are an increase in the percentage of moisture, a disappearance of 

 the reducing sugar, a loss in the nitrogen-free extract, and a slight gain in 

 fibre. 



2. When clover is cured as hay there is a significant loss in protein, a 

 ccnsiderable gain in nitrogen-free extract, and a slight loss in ash, crude 

 fibre, and ether extract. 



3. The results indicate that when Red clover is ensiled there occur changes 

 iu the proteins which result in a noticeable lowering of the co-efficient of 

 digestibility for this, the most important of food constituents. 



Clover under Irrigation. 



That clovers under irrigation are distinctly promising for western districts 

 is shown by the trials at Yanco Experiment Farm. Short-lived clovers like 

 Subterranean, Crimson, and Egyptian, gave high yields for the season, and 

 may therefore be particularly useful as rotation crops. The following are 

 the acre yields obtained in the 1913 trials : — 



* Montana Agrio. Exper. Stn., Bui. 117. 



