CURING CLOVERS FOR STOCK. 335 



Grass and hay are greatly injured by remaining too 

 long under a hot sun without being turned. A some- 

 what different method is adopted for the artificial 

 grasses. 



The natural grasses, when cut for hay, are generally 

 spread and dried as rapidly as possible, in order to 

 secure them in the best manner. Experience has proved 

 that the same method is not applicable to the clover 

 crop. It requires a longer time to cure it properly, 

 and, if exposed to the scorching sun, it is injured even 

 more than the natural grasses, since its succulent leaves 

 and tender blossoms are quickly browned, and lose their 

 sweetness in a measure, and are themselves liable to be 

 wasted in handling over. Most good farmers, therefore, 

 prefer to cure it in the cock. A practical farmer, of 

 long experience, says : " I prefer to mow clover when 

 it is dry, free from dew ; let it wilt, and the same day 

 it is mown fork it into cocks which will weigh from 

 forty to fifty weight when fit for the barn. Do not 

 rake and roll it : that process will compress it too 

 much. 



" According to the weather and my convenience, I 

 let it stand ; it will settle and turn the rain very well, 

 and will answer to put into the mow while the heads 

 and stalks are yet green and fresh. When fit to cart, 

 the stalks, although green, will be found to be destitute, 

 or nearly so, of sap : the sap has candied, and the 

 clover will keep. On the day of carting, turn the cocks 

 over, expose the bottom to the sun an hour or so, and 

 to a ton of hay add four to six quarts of salt in the 

 mow. 



" Good clover not rank cured in this way I con- 

 sider to be worth nearly or quite as much as clear Tim- 

 othy to feed to a stock of cattle, and for milch cows I 

 consider it to be by far preferable to Timothy. Good 



