102 THE CLOVER CROP. 



enriching feeding substance be not used, an equivalent 

 in manure should be applied to the succeeding wheat crop, 

 either in the shape of farmyard dung in the autumn at 

 the time of ploughing, or of some artificial manure at the 

 time of sowing, or at a later period of the growth of the 

 crop. Where clover is kept down two or three years, as 

 in the longer rotations, it is generally mown for hay the 

 first year and" fe-i off afterwards. If intended for mowing 

 ttq second, year, it^'should not be fed down too close, and 

 a' good dressing- ; cf farm dung should be given to it at 

 some convenient time during the winter. The subsequent 

 growth should then be consumed on the ground, either 

 with or without the addition of cake or corn, as the con- 

 dition of the land may determine. 



On the soils farmed upon the four -course system, a 

 practice has been introduced of substituting another 

 leguminous plant for a portion (say one -half) of the 

 clover -break. This may be generally done with great 

 advantage to the clover crop, as although the chemical 

 principles of the rotation are not relieved by the substi- 

 tution, still the soil undergoes a different mechanical treat- 

 ment, and the chances of success of the crop are practically 

 benefited. For this purpose, on the lighter class of soils, 

 peas are probably the best substitute; on the stronger, 

 beans, especially the winter-sown variety, have been suc- 

 cessfully introduced. In the Eastern districts, sainfoin 

 has been substituted with very satisfactory results ; this 

 practice, however, will come before us when we discuss the 

 cultivation of that crop. By this arrangement of cropping, 

 the interval between the recurrence of the clover on the 

 same ground is just doubled from the fourth to the eighth 

 year, and the chances of its failure proportionately de- 

 creased. In this case we must not forget that where peas 

 or beans are substituted for the clover, they are carried 

 off the field, which should receive a compensating supply 



