226 CLOVERS 



Preparing the Soil. — The preparation of the 

 soil called for by the mammoth clover is virtually 

 the same as that required when preparing a seed-bed 

 for the medium red variety. (See page 74.) Clay 

 loam soils, whatsoever their color, cannot easily be 

 made too fine and smooth, and the same is true of 

 sandy loams. Stiff clays should be made so fine 

 as to contain ample loose mold to germinate the 

 seed readily, and yet they ought not to be made so 

 fine that they will readily run together under 

 the influence of a soaking rain. Usually, such soils 

 are seldom made too fine, but sometimes they are. 

 The aim should be to firm sandy soils, especially 

 when light enough to lift with the wind, and to 

 leave them more or less uneven on the surface when 

 the seed is sown. 



In many States the ground should be plowed in 

 the fall for spring sowing, and in yet others it should 

 be plowed in the spring. Conditions of soil and cli- 

 mate govern this feature of the work. Usually, 

 however, the longer the soil is plowed and then prop- 

 erly worked on the surface before receiving the seed, 

 the finer, cleaner, firmer and moister it is likely to be, 

 and the larger the store of the available fertility to 

 promote the growth of the young plants. Because 

 of this, after cultivated crops, the ground is 

 not usually plowed or otherwise stirred on the 

 surface. 



When the soil is low in fertility, it may be neces- 

 sary to fertilize it before a crop of mammoth clover 

 can be successfully grown. For such fertilization, 

 farmyard manure is very suitable. When soils are low 



