HOW TO HANDLE SWEET CLOVER. 



The amount of (hulled) seed to the acre, for hay, 

 is thirty pounds; that for pasture and for green 

 manure, as in cases like the above, is fifteen pounds. 

 As the stems or stalks of sweet clover become hard 

 and woody, when thoroughly developed, it is neces- 

 sary, to secure good hay, to sow the seed so thickly 

 that the plants are dwarfed. But for building up 

 old fields, and to seed to pasture, we want a large 

 growth of plants which will give us the largest 

 amount of seed the second year and large stalks to 

 protect the young grass; hence we sow less to the 

 acre. 



I have tried spring, summer, and fall sowing, and 

 found very little difference, as the seed germinates 

 slowly, when sown at any time. If sown in the spring 

 I would advise sowing with it a light seeding of 

 spring oats. I have found that, to follow along Na- 

 ture's lines in seeding, or, in other words, to sow the 

 seed of grasses just after the time of the ripening of 

 the seed, will give a good stand, other conditions 

 being favorable. 



Where grown for hay, sweet clover should be har- 

 vested twice the first season. It will not go to seed 

 the first year if it is cut twice. Where it is cut twice 

 the second season there is very little seed formed. 

 The plant of sweet clover dies at the end of the second 

 season. 



Sweet clover should be cut a little earlier in its 

 growth than alfalfa, as the stalks are more of a woody 

 nature. Just before the first blossoms appear gives 

 the best quality of hay. 



The great difficulty with sweet clover has been its 

 unpalatability to stock. In grazing on young plants, 

 however, the stock begin on it when other grass is 

 short, and they gradually become accustomed to it. 

 I note in particular that horses, mules, sheep, and 

 cattle take to it readily, when turned on it during a 

 dry time when pasture is short. It is not affected by 

 extremely dry or hot weather, as are other pastures. 



There is quite a difference between the palatability 



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