PLANTS OF THE CLOVER FAMILY. 85 



heads is pronounced. The cutting and feeding of 

 the crop as green food may be continued as long as 

 the plants are eaten with a relish by live stock. When 

 ready for being made into hay, it is common not to 

 feed it longer as green food. This stage will be 

 reached by the time that the crop is in complete 

 bloom. It is manifest, therefore, that the period for 

 using clover as soiling food is a short one, not longer 

 usually than from two to three weeks, and if a plat 

 or field of alsike, or mammoth clover has also been 

 sown in addition to the medium red clover, it will 

 prolong the feeding for about an equal period. The 

 two crops, therefore, will provide green food for five 

 or six weeks in succession. The medium red clover 

 will also furnish a second cutting of soiling food 

 which will be available in about six or seven weeks 

 subsequent to the first cutting, when grown under 

 normal conditions. The period of cutting will vary 

 from about June ist to July ist north of the 

 4Oth parallel. 



The green food is cut daily or every other day, 

 as may be desired, by using the scythe or field mower, 

 and is fed in pastures, paddocks or from feed racks 

 in the yards, as may be thought most advisable. In 

 large quantities it is of course drawn on a truck or 

 wagon. When cut with the mower it should not lie 

 many hours in very bright weather without being 

 "bunched," as it will soon lose so much moisture that 

 its succulence will be too much lessened. A little 

 wilting tends to obviate the danger from bloating in 

 the animals to which it is fed. This danger with 

 cattle and sheep is always imminent in some degree 

 when green clover is fed in a. very succulent condi- 



