82 SOILING CROPS AND THE SILO. 



snow." When the latter melts it frequently carries 

 much of the seed down into the soil. Clover seed 

 is seldom if ever sown thus early, except with a nurse 

 crop of winter wheat or rye. Usually it would be a 

 safer way to defer sowing the seed until the surface 

 of the soil has so dried that when the seed is sown 

 it may be covered with the harrow. The harrow- 

 ing if properly done is beneficial to the nurse crop as 

 well as the clover seed. But in some instances the 

 harrow cannot be used, as in clay soils, which remain 

 unduly moist in the spring. 



When clover seed is sown with a nurse crop of 

 spring grain, as, for instance, barley, wheat or oats, 

 it should be covered more or less deeply; the later 

 the period of sowing the more imperative is it that 

 the seed should be so covered. Where moisture is 

 usually sufficiently plentiful, the plan of sowing 

 clover seed with a nurse crop is commendable. But 

 all nurse crops are not equally favorable to the 

 growth of the clover. Those which are most favor- 

 able include barley and winter rye ; those which are 

 least favorable include such crops as oats and millet. 

 But when clover is sown with a nurse crop and the 

 weather turns dry, if the nurse crop can be pastured 

 off, or cut at some stage previous to that of maturity, 

 the hazard to the young clover plants will be so far 

 lessened, as they are then deprived to a smaller 

 extent of the strengthening influences of sunlight 

 and moisture. On the soils of the prairie, so light 

 that they are springy to the tread, a good stand of 

 clover may frequently be obtained by sowing it with 

 a crop that is to be pastured, as, for instance, a crop 

 of mixed cereals or rape. The treading of the live 



