206 CLOVERS 



provide a sufficient covering. Especially is this true 

 in climates that are moist. 



Alsike clover has special adaptation for being 

 sown along with timothy and red top on slough soils, 

 and soils made up of rich deposit. It matures about 

 the same time as these grasses. They support the 

 slender stems of the alsike, and in doing so prevent 

 lodging more or less. This greatly improves the 

 quality of the hay. The more numerous the plants 

 in those mixtures, the finer also will be the quality 

 of the hay. If but two varieties are wanted in the 

 mixture, ordinarily these two should be alsike clover 

 and timothy. Both furnish hay of excellent quality ; 

 hence, when the proportion of alsike is not too large, 

 such hay sells readily to dairymen who have to pur- 

 chase fodder. 



Although this clover does not mature until three 

 to four weeks later than the medium red, neverthe- 

 less, it may be well to add the latter to the timothy 

 and alsike clover mixture. When these are thus 

 sown in due balance, the first cutting will be mainly 

 red clover, after which there will be but little of the 

 red present. But the medium red clover will add 

 much to the pasture after the first cutting for hay. 

 Subsequently, the hay crop will usually consist of 

 alsike and timothy. Alsike clover along with tim- 

 othy may also be sown with mammoth clover, since 

 the two mature about the same time. But the mam- 

 moth variety will monopolize the ground while the 

 first hay crop is being produced. The advantage from 

 sowing the seed thus lies chiefly in prolonging the 

 period of clover production along with timothy grown 



