148 CLOVERS 



crop than the clovers, it is more frequently sown 

 without one. And 3. Since it is expected to furnish 

 food for a much longer term of years than any of the 

 clovers, it is relatively more important that the seed 

 shall be sown with a view to seek a uniform and 

 sufficient stand of the plants. 



Whether the seed is sown by hand, or by any of 

 the hand machines in use, the results will usually 

 prove satisfactory, but in climates where moisture 

 is deficient, decidedly better results are obtained 

 from sowing the seed with some form of seed drill. 

 A press drill is preferred in soils so light and open 

 as to dry out easily or to lift easily with the wind. 

 Under conditions of ample moisture, a light cover- 

 ing with a harrow will suffice, but under conditions 

 the opposite, more covering is necessary. In areas 

 where spring and early autumn showers are fre- 

 quent, the roller will provide a sufficient covering, 

 especially where the soils are well charged with a clay 

 content. On other soils, as those which cover much 

 of the prairie, the seed should be buried from i to 

 2 inches deep. 



Where alfalfa is much sown on soils well sup- 

 plied with humus, and on the soils which prevail in the 

 Rocky Mountain region, many growers sow the 

 seed with the grain drill, and before sowing they 

 first mix the seed with some material, as earth, 

 some kind of coarse meal, bran or other substance 

 to make it feed out more regularly. In some in- 

 stances one-half of the seed is sown the first time 

 the drill is driven over the land, and the balance is 

 sown by driving again over the same at right angles 



