39th YEAR, 



CHICAGO, ILL, FEBRUARY 23, 1899. 



No, 8. 



MELILOT OR SWEET CLOVER. 

 How to Sow It and Grow It for Hay and Honey. 



BV \VM. STOLLEV. 



I NOTICE that quite frequently Dr. Miller is still bom- 

 barded with questions regarding- sweet clover, such as, 

 preparing- the ground for the planting- of its seed, how to 

 plant, how to make hay of it, when to cut it, etc. Now, if 

 •the Doctor will not consider it trespassing on his domain, I 

 will touch upon some of these questions for the benefit of 

 beginners, and tell them what I know about sweet clover 

 from experience. 



Those contemplating- the growing of melilot (sweet 

 clover) as a field crop, may very properly take for it any 

 small-grain-field stubble, or a corn-field, sowing the seed 

 broadcast, and using from 15 to 20 pounds of seed to the 

 acre, without any further prepartion of the soil whatsoever, 

 except harrowing the rather compact soil with a sharp- 

 tootht harrow after sowing. 



The sowing may be done at all times after the ripe seed 

 begins to drop to the ground, and from that time on clear 

 into, and during winter, but it should not be done too late 

 in the spring, for fear that a dry spell may injure or destroy 

 the young, tender plant before it has sent its taproot deep 

 enough into the moist soil below. 



Of course, seed sown on frozen land cannot be harrowed 

 and thus slighth- covered ; but this is hardly needed. The 

 tramping into the soil by stock, and the action of melting 

 snow, is all that is required for the seed, if good, to sprout 

 and take root earU' in the season, having the benefit of all 

 the winter and early spring moisture. In fact,, melilot seed 

 sown on country roads, and alongside of railroad tracts, or 

 vacant places, if the seed be good, always gave good 

 results with me. I have tried it, and hereby acknowledge 

 that I am guilty, even if it should be considered a crime. 



Those growing melilot as a field crop generall)' expect 

 to derive other benefits besides a reliable honey crop, viz.: 

 such as pasture for stock, cropping it for hay, or enriching 

 poor and worn-out land. Melilot will do all this, and even 

 more. Melilot is a good and efficient subsoiler. 



If a good stand is secured in its first year's growth, it 

 should be cut for hay about the first of July, depending 

 somewhat on the headway it has made by that time ; the 

 next cutting may be done about six weeks later on : but do 

 not cut too close to the ground, lest you may risk killing the 

 plants. Leave a stubble of from 3 to 4 inches high, and the 

 plants will not be injured. 



Melilot being exceedingly succulent, requires much 

 longer curing than any other plant utilized for the making 

 of hay. It should remain on the field, as cut, without work- 



ing or turning it until it is ready to be housed or stackt out- 

 side, so as not to lose a large percentage of its leaves., 

 which, when dry, are very brittle, a'nd easily drop off. 



It is best, in loading on a wagon, to use a hayloader 

 attacht to the wagon. Thus in 10 or IS minutes the wagon 

 is loaded, and but one good man is required on the wagon^to 

 do the work. 



The unloading is also best done with a g-rabblefork, or. 

 still better, with a so-called "sling." It is verj' hard work 

 to do the unloading with a common pitchfork. 



While housing or stacking a liberal sprinkle of salt 

 should be given on each layer as it is spread out. This will 

 improve the quality of the hay, will tend greatly to prevent 

 heating, and is greatly relisht by the stock feeding upon it. 



Melilot must remain in the field to cure at least double 

 the length of time that alfalfa requires, and therefore will 

 bleach considerable ; but this bleaching does not in the 



iriii. Stolley. 



least injure the quality of the ha3'. It should be workt, 

 when secured, only early in the forenoon and towards even- 

 ing to prevent loss by waste of dropping leaves. 



In the second year of its growth, if hay as well as bee- 

 pasture is the object in view, melilot should be cut not later 

 than June IS, with a stubble from 4 to S inches high, and 



