MEDIUM RED CLOVER I05 



rated from those of clover with the' fanning mill, 

 they are so alike in size. 



The crop is ready for being cut when the heads 

 have all turned brown, except a few of the smaller 

 and later ones. It may be cut by the mower as or- 

 dinarily used, by the mower, with a board or zinc 

 platform attachment to the cutter bar, by the self- 

 rake reaper, or by the grain binder. The objection 

 to the first method is that the seed 'has to be raked 

 and that the raking results in the loss of much seed ; 

 to the second, that it calls for an additional man to 

 rake off the clover ; and to the third, that the binder 

 is heavier than the self-rake reaper. The latter lays 

 the clover off in loose sheaves. These may be made 

 large or small, as desired, and if care is taken to lay 

 them off in rows, the lifting of the crop is rendered 

 much easier. 



When the clover is cut with the mower, it should 

 be raked into winrows while it is a little damp, 

 as, for instance, in the evening. If raked in the heat 

 of the day many of the heads will break off and will 

 thus be lost. From the winrows it is lifted with 

 large forks. When the crop is laid off in sheaves it 

 may be necessary to turn them once, even in the ab- 

 sence of rain, but frequently this is not necessary. 

 In the turning process gentle handling is important, 

 lest much of the seed should be lost. The seed heads 

 of a mature crop break off very easily in the hours 

 of bright sunshine. Rather than turn the sheaves 

 over, it may be better, in many instances, just to 

 lift them with a fork with many tines, and set them 

 down easily again on ground which is not damp 



