68 



that too much liandling as the crop dries results in the break- 

 ing oil' of the leaves and heads, which are the most valuable 

 portion of the crop. Whatever the hour of cutting, then, 

 the fact should be kept in mind that this crop should be 

 tedded but little in curing. If cut late in the aftcruoon, the 

 crop may be tedded once the following forenoon. If the 

 weather is particularly fine, it will then be ready to rake 

 and put into cocks late in the afternoon of the same day. 

 If the clover is curing more slowly, it may be best to leave 

 it in windrows over one night, and to turn these carefully 

 with the fork the next forenoon, and to cock on the afternoon 

 of the second day after cutting. The nse of hay caps in 

 cnring clover hay should be more general. It is desirable to 

 leave the clover in the cock for a number of days, sometimes 

 as long as a week. The hay is coarse, and if exposed to rain 

 it is badly damaged unless the cocks are protected by caps. 

 When examination shows that the clover in the cock is ap- 

 parently cured, it should be slightly opened and turned up 

 from the bottom on the forenoon of a good day. It will then 

 be ready to put in in the afternoon. Clover hay cured in 

 this manner should hold substantially all its leaves and heads, 

 and should cure of a bright green color. Such clover is one 

 of the most valuable forage crops, whether for cattle, sheep 

 or horses. Well-cured clover hay, popular opinion to the con- 

 trary notwithstanding, is a safe and valuable food for horses, 

 which will need much less grain when fed such hay than 

 whefiL timothy hay is used. 



