430 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



518. Time of sowing. In the latitude of Maryland, 

 crimson clover may be sown any time from midsummer 

 until October. Midsummer sowings are apt to be injured 

 by heat, and late sowings to be winter-killed. So far as 

 temperature is concerned, the best time is probably late 

 summer, which will permit about ten weeks' growth before 

 the first frost. Ample moisture at the time of seeding 

 and while the plants are young is quite as important as 

 the temperature relations, and lack of timely rains results 

 in more failures to secure stands than any other one 

 cause. A common saying among farmers is that " crimson 

 clover should be sown between showers." 



In the Northern States and Canada, crimson clover 

 may be sown in spring. Spring sowing is used to some 

 extent in Europe and may be practicable for some pur- 

 poses in America. A nurse-crop cannot be used with 

 spring sowings, however, as the clover grows too rapidly. 



519. Methods of sowing. Crimson clover is sown in 

 many different ways, whether grown primarily for hay, 

 pasture or green manure. The principal methods are 

 sowing alone ; sowing in an intertilled crop ; and sowing 

 mixed with a small grain wheat, rye, barley or winter 

 oats for hay. 



More crimson clover is probably sown in cultivated 

 rows of corn than in any other way. This is commonly 

 done by broadcasting at the time of the last cultivation 

 of corn in Maryland, but farther south later sowing is 

 more desirable to avoid injury to the crimson clover by 

 hot summer weather. The clover matures early enough 

 the next season so that the hay crop can be removed in 

 time .to plant corn again ; south of central Delaware the 

 crimson clover may be harvested for seed and still leave 

 time to grow a crop of corn. 



