and Us Economic Management. 83 



very valuable for honey where a large area is sown. It has 

 the desirable quality of enriching the soil with nitrogen 

 to a very large extent. Its immense roots penetrate to a 

 great depth, and in decomposing, also assist the produc- 

 tiveness of the soil for future crops. 



" No matter how dry the weather may be the crop is 

 always sure, and always green, and will supply pasturage, 

 or acropof hay, when everything else is dried up. Neverthe- 

 less it has one great drawback, for when the first crop is cut 

 for hay in June, many of the stalks are too coarse for any 

 animal to consume. This difficulty is avoided by feeding 

 off until July ist, when the following (flowering) crop will 

 come finer, and be one mass of bloom. During the second 

 year after sowing, it may also be cut in May, and then fed 

 off for a few weeks before saving the second growth, as 

 this will avoid the coarse stalks. 



" I find it should be sown with Trefoil, and Red, or 

 Alsike clovers, as well as with Rye-grass, for obtaining the 

 best results in hay ; cutting at the end of May, and again 

 in August if with Alsike, or a little later if with Red clover. 

 Melilot should not be sown with corn, but the field may be 

 fed off to great advantage while the plant is stocking out 

 during the first year. 



" White clover is a permanent plant, Alsike and Red 

 last only so long as the ground keeps clean, and that may 

 be three or four years, though the red is generally ploughed 

 under after one full season's crops." 



Alsike Clover 



is certainly to be preferred to Red, from the Apiarist's 

 point of view, and though giving only one hay crop yearly, 

 every piece of it is sound feed, whereas much of the 

 stalky red clover is discarded by stock. Its value for milch 

 cows is shown by the following, taken from Gleanings 



