MEDIUM RED CLOVER 95 



the pasture, and the danger is always less in pro- 

 portion as grasses are abundant in the pasture. 



Should bloating occur, relief must usually be 

 prompt to be effective. In mild cases, certain medi- 

 cines may bring relief. One of the most potent is 

 the following : Give spirits of turpentine in doses of 

 I to 5 tablespoonfuls, according to the size of the 

 animal. Dilute with milk before administering. In 

 bad cases, the paunch should be at once punctured. 

 The best instruments are the trocar and canula, but 

 in the absence of these a pocket knife and goose 

 quill may be made to answer. The puncture is made 

 on the left side, at a point midway between the last 

 rib and hook point, and but a few inches from the 

 backbone. The thrusting instrument should point 

 downward and slightly inward going into the 

 paunch. With much promptness the canula or the 

 quill should be pushed down into the paunch and 

 held there till the gas escapes. Before the tube is 

 withdrawn the contents of the paunch that have 

 risen in the same should be first pushed down. 



Harvesting for Hay. — Medium red clover is at 

 its best for cutting for hay when in full bloom, and 

 when a few of the heads which first bloomed are 

 beginning to turn brown : that is to say, in the later 

 rather than in the earlier stage of full bloom. If 

 cut sooner, the curing of the crop is tedious. If cut 

 later the stalks lose in palatability. But when the 

 weather is showery it may be better to defer cut- 

 ting even for several days after the clover has 

 reached the proper stage for harvesting, as the in- 

 jury from rain while the crop is being cured may 



