CLOVERS. 377 



is admirably adapted for the application of liquid manures. 

 The crop succeeds best in rich loamy soils, although it is 

 adapted to almost any class of soil which is richly manured. 

 The land requires to be well drained, free from weeds, and 

 carefully worked to a fine tilth. Its place in the rotation 

 or course of cropping is after a grain or white crop ; although 

 in practice it has been found well adapted to follow a well- 

 manured green crop, as turnips, potatoes, cabbage, or the 

 like. It may be sown at two seasons, the autumn or the 

 spring. If sown in the autumn, a cutting may be obtained 

 before the hard frost of winter sets in ; but if sown in the 

 spring alone, the first cutting may be obtained in June : 

 when sown in spring, it is usually, however, sown down 

 with a grain crop, and the first cutting is not obtained till 

 some weeks after the grain crop has been removed. The 

 quantity of seed required varies from 2| to 4 bushels per 

 acre, and is sown either broadcast by hand or by machine. 

 The crop is greedy of manure; and although it is not the 

 usual practice to manure the land previous to sowing, it 

 repays with interest the manures applied after it is well up. 

 As stated above, liquid manure of all kinds is peculiarly 

 fitted for the crop indeed it is somewhat difficult to be- 

 lieve statements given as to the enormous yield obtained 

 by the lavish use of this manure, if they were not made 

 by the first authorities in agricultural matters. The crop is 

 usually cut green and given to the cattle as fresh forage, 

 either as fatting cattle or dairy cows. "When cut for hay, 

 the best time to cut it is just before the seed is formed. 



181. Clovers. The culture of clover forms an important 

 part of alternate husbandry. The soil in which it is grown 

 requires to be well supplied with lime. It is rarely or 

 never sown alone although matured as a separate crop 

 but is sown down with a white crop, generally the barley 

 although it is put down also with the wheat and oat crops. 

 When these are removed from the land, the clover, which 

 was thus kept down, takes a fresh start, and remains all 

 winter and the succeeding season. It is either cut green 

 as a forage plant for stock, or cut and made into hay. If 



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