SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES i.'J^ 



in the soil and admitting sunlight at an earlier 

 period. Oats make the least advantageous nurse 

 crop, because of the denseness of the shade, but if 

 they are sown thinly and cut for hay soon after they 

 come into head, they are then a very suitable nurse 

 crop. One chief objection to flax as a nurse crop 

 is that it is commonly sown late. The chief virtue 

 in rape as a nurse crop is that the shade is removed 

 early through pasturing. The millets are objection- 

 able as nurse crops through the denseness of the 

 shade which they furnish and also because of the 

 heavy draught which they make on soil moisture. 

 Peas and vetches should not be used as nurse crops, 

 since they smother the young clover plants through 

 lodging in the advanced stages of their growth. 



Amounts of Seed to Sow. — The amounts of 

 clover seed to sow are influenced by the object 

 sought in sowing; by combinations with which the 

 seeds are sown, and by the relative size of the seeds. 

 The soil and climate should also be considered, al- 

 though these influences are probably less important 

 than those first named. 



When clovers are sown for pasture only, or to 

 fertilize the soil speedily and to supply it with humus, 

 the largest amounts of seed are sown. But for these 

 purposes it is seldom necessary to use more than 

 12 pounds of seed per acre. These amounts refer 

 to the medium red and mammoth varieties, which 

 are more frequently used than the other varieties 

 for the purposes named. They also include the 

 crimson sown usually to fertilize the soil. When 

 sown to provide seed only, 12 pounds per acre of the 



