1 92 PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL BOTANY 



feet tall and pubescent from a tap root, which reaches a depth of three to 

 six feet. The stipules are large at the base of a petiole, which is two to 

 three inches long, bearing three ovate to elliptic leaflets with an entire 

 margin. The floral heads are large, globose to hemispherical with pink 

 papilionaceous flowers (Fig. 79). The calyx is five- toothed, with narrow, 

 hairy teeth. The pod is one- to two-seeded (Fig. 80). This clover was 

 introduced from Europe and is now growing spontaneously throughout 

 North America. Linnaeus in his original description of the plant in 

 "Species Plantarum," 1753, says "Habitat in Europae graminosis." 

 Protandry is the rule with red clover flowers and they must be cross- 

 pollinated in order to set seed. The story, that red clover grown in New 

 Zealand failed to set seed until the bumble bee was introduced into the 

 country, has been contradicted, but this can be said that the bumble bee 

 is the most efficient of all the insect pollinating agents, while the honey 

 bee with a proboscis 6 mm. in length is 3.6 mm. shorter than the average 

 of the corolla tubes of the first crop, red clover flowers. In 191 1 , the honey 

 bee proved to be an efficient cross pollinator. 



Treatment. Red clover is the staple, leguminous forage crop in the 

 north central and northeastern states. Any soil that will grow satis- 

 factory crops of corn will produce good return^ from red clover. A deep 

 soil is desirable as the roots extend some distance into it. The presence 

 of humus is requisite as the plant does not grow well in its absence. Red 

 clover is usually sowed in the spring on winter grain, and at that time no 

 special preparation of the seed bed is necessary, as the first has pulverized 

 the soil. Clover seed should be sown with one of the various kinds of 

 grass seed drills on the market at the rate of eight to ten pounds of seed to 

 the acre planted one to two inches deep. This weight of seed is often 

 mixed with ten to twelve pounds of timothy. When seeded with a grain 

 nurse crop, no special treatment is given clover the first season. It de- 

 velops in the stubble after the grain has been cut and occasionally may 

 afford some pasture the same fall. Cutting should be deferred until the 

 second year, when a cut can be made for hay and a second crop for seed. 

 When mixed with timothy, the stand is often allowed to remain three or 

 four years with a gradual decrease in the clover plants. When seeded in 

 the fall in corn or with rape, one or two crops may be expected the fol- 

 lowing season in addition to considerable pasture. A top-dressing of 

 barn-yard manure at any time acts beneficially on red clover. 



Harvesting and Yield. Red clover is best harvested for hay when one- 

 third of the blossoms have begun to turn brown. At this time the plant 



