PLANTS OF THE CLOVER FAMILY. ^5 



mature their seeds. These in clue time will fall to 

 the ground. The following spring the harrow may 

 be made to render good service by running it over 

 th&se lands as early as possible. It helps to bury the 

 seed, and as the seed remains in the seed sacs, it is 

 almost certain to grow. The harrowing may also 

 be done so late in the fall that the seed will not 

 sprout previously to the coming of the winter. The 

 benefit from this form of re-seeding will be depend- 

 ent upon such conditions as relate to soil and climate. 

 Much of the soil of the prairie seems to be adapted to 

 this form of re-seeding. There are localities in 

 which it is possible to maintain a clover pasture for 

 years by the adoption of this method. 



Pasturing. — Common or medium red clover 

 should not be pastured off ordinarily the same year 

 it was sown. Such pasturing removes the covering 

 that would otherwise protect the roots of the clover 

 in winter. And if done early in the season it would 

 also hinder root development. But there may be 

 instances in which the growth of the clover would 

 be so luxuriant that it would be proper to pasture it 

 off to prevent smothering in the winter, especially in 

 localities where a heavy snowfall may be expected. 



The second season after sowing the clover is 

 that in which it provides an abundance of pas- 

 ture. In grazing live stock upon it the aim should 

 be to keep it so cropped off that it will not become 

 rank and coarse, otherwise much of it is liable to be 

 trodden down rather than eaten off. If the clover 

 should grow so rapidly as to get ahead of the needs 

 of the stock, the mower should be run over the field 

 not later than the blossoming stage of the clover. 

 The clover so cut may remain on the field as a 



