136 THE GRASSES OF TENNESSEE. 



first of September is the time to mow for seed, and the 

 straw will thresh all the better for being exposed to the 

 weather for three weeks. The threshing is usually done in 

 the field, though the haulm may be hauled up alter being 

 thoroughly dry, and staqked with a good straw covering, 

 or else stored away under shelter on a good tight floor 

 until it suits the convenience of the farmer to thresh. Care 

 should be taken not to run over or tramp upon the clover 

 after it is dried, as many seeds are thus shelled out and 

 lost. The better plan is to haul to the thresher just as soon 

 as the straw is in a proper condition to thresh. This will 

 save the trouble and expense of stacking. 



Mr. J. K. P. Wallace, writing from Anderson county to 

 the Rural Sun, thus describes the method in use in that 

 county : 



" We take a six or eight horse (the latter the better) 

 power lever threshing machine, and attach to it the ordinary 

 box, that is, such as does not have the grain-cleaning ap- 

 paratus, because this would fan seed and all away. We 

 first run the clover straw through, which takes all the seeds 

 off and thoroughly tears up the heads. Then we plank up 

 the (box) machinery, leaving a small opening in front of 

 the cylinder, say six or seven inches square, and leave a 

 smaller one at the opposite upper corner at the rear of the 

 cylinder. Then with a small handled paddle we feed the 

 threshed-off heads through again. The seeds are then 

 thoroughly hulled, ready for the fanning mill. Every fifth 

 bushel is taken by the threshers as toll. A thresher of this 

 kind will thresh and hull from five to seven bushels per 

 day." 



With the separators, one bushel in three is taken for 

 toll. 



Some farmers prefer to sow in the chaff, believing that a 

 better stand of clover is thus secured. Usually about 

 thirty bushels in the chaff are considered equivalent to one 

 of cleaned seed. Of course this will depend greatly 



