324 DRY LAND FARMING 



Sowing. The leading classes of clover, which also 

 may be looked upon as varieties, have already been re- 

 ferred to (see p. 323). To what is there said, it may be 

 added that the most important of the clovers is the com- 

 mon red, since, when moisture is present in ample sup- 

 ply, it produces two ctittings in a year. The mammoth 

 is of stronger growth and, therefore, may prove more 

 satisfactory on light lands. The Alsike is pre-eminently 

 adapted to low lying lands, but will grow well on higher 

 lands, especially when these are strongly impregnated 

 with lime. The small white, which is only adapted to 

 pasture production-, or at least mainly so, gives the best 

 account of itself under moist conditions. Japan clover 

 will grow on very poor soils, but the growth will be 

 less vigorous proportionately than when it is grown on 

 good soils. 



All the clovers should be sown early in the season 

 except the crimson, and that variety is not well adapted to 

 dry areas. As a rule, the clovers should be sown as early 

 in the season as the land is in suitable condition to re- 

 ceive them. In areas southward, it may answer to sow 

 clovers early in the autumn. This method, however, is 

 not applicable to northern areas, as the plants in these 

 are unable to stand the rigors of the winter when sown 

 thus late. They may be sown with the grain drill. More 

 commonly they are sown with an attachment to the grain 

 drill which allows the seed to fall before the grain tubes. 

 It is much better, however, to have the seed feed into 

 the grain tubes, which bury it with the grain, or, what 

 is still better, running the seeder over the ground subse- 

 quent to the sowing of the grain. It may then be 

 'buried at a proper depth. On winter rye ground it may 

 be sown broadcast in the early spring and covered with 

 the harrow, or it may be sown with a drill such as has 

 been referred to above. 



