66 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



seeded in the fall in corn or with rape one or two crops may be 

 expected the next season in addition to considerable pasture. A top- 

 dressing of barnyard manure acts very favorably on red clover at any 

 time. 



Treatment the Second Season. Common red clover usually 

 lives but two years. The second season the first crop is usually cut 

 for hay and the second crop for seed. The aftermath or rowen is then 

 pastured or plowed under. In sections where the season is not long 

 enough to permit the clover to set seed after a full hay crop has 

 been harvested it is necessary if seed is desired either to pasture 

 back the first crop of clover or to cut it early when just coming into 

 bloom, rather than to wait until it is in full bloom, as is usually 

 recommended. When mixed with timothy the stand is often allowed 

 to remain three or four years with the clover gradually decreasing. 

 If it is desired to retain a stand of clover for more than two years 

 seed must be allowed to mature during the late summer the second 

 season. This may reseed the area naturally, but it is well to give 

 the ground a good harrowing to cover the seed and properly scatter 

 it. A top-dressing with clover straw or with manure made from 

 clover hay will also tend to thicken up the stand by reason of the 

 seeds which are present therein. Although no definite experimental 

 evidence is at hand it is probable that by leaving occasional uncut 

 strips of red clover across the field when cutting the seed crop this 

 will furnish sufficient seed to reseed the ground when harrowed across 

 the narrow uncut strips. [For red-clover hay, see "Haymaking," in 

 another part of this volume.] 



Red Clover for Ensilage. Red clover may be so readily utilized 

 as pasture or hay that as a rule to ensile it is not advisable ; but if in- 

 clement weather ensues at the time of cutting for hay it is often ad- 

 visable to ensile if the facilities are at hand. To make an ideal 

 ensilage the crop should be cut a little earlier than is customary 

 when cutting for hay, but early cutting is usually impracticable if 

 hay is preferred, as the crop will be left uncut several days awaiting 

 favorable haying weather. Although the uncured plants are heavy 

 to handle to ensile them presents the advantage of retaining ail 

 their leaves. If sweet silage is desired, it should be dried for an 

 equivalent of three hours of good haying weather before being put 

 into the silo. If a feed cutter is available the clover should be cut 

 before putting it into the silo. The second crop of clover when en- 

 siled is best if mixed with some of the grasses or with Indian corn. 

 The pure red clover silage is apt to be slimy. The more thoroughly 

 it is packed down in the silo when filling the less likely it is to spoil. 



Red Clover as a Soiling Crop. Where pasturing is imprac- 

 ticable, red clover is often used as a soiling crop that is, cut and fed 

 green to live stock. Use in this way reduces or eliminates the danger 

 from bloating which attends the use of red clover as pasture. It 

 makes a goodearly feed, is palatable, and from 6 to 10 tons of green 

 feed per acre is not an unusual yield. 



Red Clover as Pasture. Red clover is a most excellent pasture 

 for all stock, especially when they are growing. For pigs it should 



