100 THE HANDBOOK FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS 



Medium red clover. — Red clover is the most conmionly grown 

 and the most important legmiiinous forage crop. It thrives best 

 in regions having a humid climate and a moist soil not deficient 

 in lime. It will not thrive on soils that have become very acid, 

 but the application of lime will generally make it possible to 

 secure a stand. 



Seeds and seeding. — The seeds are generally secured from the 

 second crop of clover. They are produced wherever clover is 

 grown extensively. 



When seeded with timothy, eight pounds per acre are used, but 

 when seeded alone ten to twelve pounds or more are commonly 

 used. In the winter wheat region, it may be sown in the grain 

 very early in the spring, depending on the alternate thawing and 

 freezing to cover the seed. Later, when the soil becomes drj^ 

 enough, the special grass seed drill may be used. Usually all the 

 seed are put in w^ith the seeder going at right angles to the grain 

 drill rows. 



Sowing in the spring and in the late summer is also practiced. 



Characteristics. — Medium red clover is generally regarded as 

 a biennial. The great majority of plants die at the end of the 

 second year after producing a crop of seeds, but some may live 

 longer if they are prevented from producing seed by pasturing 

 or frequent cutting. Most of the plants that appear after the 

 second year may be accounted for by self-seeding or by the fact 

 that in any ordinary lot of clover seed there are many so-called 

 ''hard seeds" that will not germinate till they have undergone 

 the freezing and thawing of a winter or two. 



Time to cut for liay. — The clovers are at their best state for 

 cutting at their blossoming period, after which they become 

 woody, and decrease in weight and protein content, on account 

 of the loss of leaves. 



Value. — Some of the reasons why clover is so generally 

 grown, besides its high yield and good feeding qualities are : It 

 fits in so w^ell in the usual four- or five-year rotation. The clover 

 or clover and timothy can be seeded with the grain, causing no 

 loss of time, and the following year producing hay and pasture 

 or hay and seed. When the stubble and roots are j^lowed down, 

 the soil is benefited more than by any other legumes except 

 alfalfa and possibly sweet clover. Fully thirty per cent of the 

 organic matter, and nitrogen of the plant is in the roots. 



Mammoth red clover. — This is a larger variety of red clover, 

 blossoming about two weeks later. It is also called sapling 

 clover. It is better adapted to mix with timothy, since both 



