380 handy-booe: op husbandry. 



except so much as it may be desired to save for seed. On rich 

 land, such as is adapted for soiling, an amount of clover may be 

 cut which w^ould, if cured, make four or six tons of hay, and 

 there w^ould be left in the soil a mass of roots, that, with liberal 

 manuring, would be an excellent preparation for corn, or any 

 other crop desired. 



A good field of clover is one of the very earliest ready to cut 

 for fodder, and after the third clip has been taken off, the soil will 

 afford a capital bite for young stock late into the fall. 



For hay, the crop should be allowed to stand until two-thirds 

 of the plants are in full bloom, and after cutting, it should be cured 

 (in the cock) with the least possible amount of rough handling, as 

 the leaves will be dry while the stems are yet quite green, and 

 will be likely to be broken of?" and lost if much handled. 



From what has been said, it will be seen that clover is to be 

 regarded as the "sheet-anchor" of American agriculture, and 

 especially of the system of soiling. It enriches the land, and nour- 

 ishes the herd as no other crop can. As a forage crop simply^ it 

 is later than winter rye, and less productive (probably less nutri- 

 tious) than Indian corn ; but its value as a fertilizer so far compen- 

 sates for its shortcomings in these directions, that it should 

 always play an important part in all cases where green fodder is 

 used. 



As a hay crop, clover is excellent for cows, but less valuable 

 than the grasses for horses. In my own practice I shall depend 

 on it almost exclusively for hay for my dairy cows. 



Oats are not very much grown as a green forage crop, as it 

 is generally considered more profitable to ripen the grain for mar- 

 ket ; but whenever " soiling " is practiced, — and soiling is the only 

 method yet devised that will, in the future, enable New England 

 to keep dairy animals in competition with the, richer lands at the 

 west, — oats will be found of the greatest importance as filling 

 the gap between early rye, and the grasses and Indian corn. 

 When grass has become too ripe and hard for the best use of 

 milking animals, the oat-field is in its best estate, and will furnish 



