SAVING CLOVER SEED. 839 



and frequent cuttings, the experiments do not all give such 

 striking results us tlioso on grass." 



For further notes in regard to securing clover liay the reader 

 is referred to a former chapter of this Avork. 



Saving Clover Seed. — The proper time to cut for seed is a 

 difficult one to state, esj)ecially as the heads ripen unevenly. 

 These heads sliould he examined, for sometimes the earliest con- 

 tain most seeds, aiul sometimes the main hulk of the seed is 

 found i. ""leads "which mature later in the season. 



Some persons have observed that clover, when cut rather early,^ 

 from the 5t\\ to the 15th of Juno at the Xorth, is more certain 

 to seed well than that cut later. In some cases they report 

 double the amount of seed from the clover which was cut early. 

 Considering its high jn-ice, if there is any prospect of greatly in- 

 creasing the yield of seeds more experiments are much needed. 

 Some were suggested in the i):iragraph which treats of the agency 

 of bumble bees in fertilizing the flowers. 



In England Dr. A. Yoelcker tried some diflferent sort of ma- 

 nures for this purpose with results by no means satisfactory or 

 conclusive. Probably the elTorts Ave re made in the wrong direc- 

 tion, as indicated in the jireceding paragraphs. 



For socurin;^ the seed, red clover is ordinarily cut with a reaper 

 which delivers the clover in small gavels. In this way the clover 

 is moved to one side and is not damaged l)y the tramping of the 

 liorses. 



The clover is allowed to lie until it is well dried, and probably 

 black and brittle. It may need turning once or more before dry 

 and ready to thresh or draw to the stack or the barn. Clover 

 seed during the harvesting will stand a good deal of abuse and 

 not lose its vitality. 



During a very unfavorable season for curing, when there was 

 much rain, the Avritcr tested samples from about sixty different 

 farms in Michigan, and found they averaged 8') per cent, of good 



