MEDIUM RED CLOVER 83 



happened even in Minnesota. But in other areas 

 and under other conditions, the yield would be Hght, 

 In some locaHties, as, for instance, the Willamette 

 Valley, Oregon, satisfactory returns have been ob- 

 tained by sowing clover seed and rape seed in May 

 and then pasturing both. 



The chief objections to sowing clover seed thus 

 are, first, that in a great majority of instances a suf- 

 ficient stand of the plants may be obtained when 

 the seed is sown with a nurse crop ; and second, that 

 when it is not thus sown, the first cutting of the hay 

 will contain more or less of weeds. That a stand is 

 more assured when clover seed is sown alone in 

 areas where adverse weather conditions prevail can- 

 not be disputed. Nevertheless, the fact remains that 

 whenever in order to get a stand of a short-lived 

 crop, like clover, it is necessary to sow it alone, and 

 in many instances get but little return the same sea- 

 son, it will be well to consider if there is not some 

 more satisfactory way of securing a crop that will 

 prove an equivalent. In northerly areas the stubbles 

 of the nurse crop frequently render substantial ser- 

 vice to the clover by holding the snow on the crop, 

 and also by protecting it more or less from the effect 

 of the cold winds. The old-time practice of sowing 

 clover with a nurse crop is likely to be continued, 

 notwithstanding that it has some disadvantages. 



These disadvantages include the following : i . The 

 young plants are liable to be weakened by the crowd- 

 ing and by overmuch shading from the grain when 

 it grows rankly and thickly, and to such an extent 

 that they perish; 2. When the grain lodges, as it 



