274 CLOVERS 



may be looked upon as possessed ot superior adapta- 

 tion for the growth of seed crops of white clover. 



The areas are limited, however, in which seed 

 crops are grown in the United States; so limited 

 are they that it has been found very difficult to 

 locate them. Wood County in Central Wisconsin 

 grows a considerable quantity, and some counties 

 northward in the same State, and probably also 

 some parts of Northern Michigan, will grow seed 

 equally well. 



Where a seed crop is grown every care should 

 be exercised to have it free from foul weeds. The 

 aim should be to grow it on clean land. Sometimes, 

 however, the seed is self-sown ; that is, it comes into 

 the land without being sown, but even in such areas 

 it is safer to sow 3 pounds of seed per acre in the 

 early spring along with a nurse crop. The best 

 seed crops in Wisconsin and Michigan are grown 

 on a reasonably stiff clay soil. To get a full crop of 

 seed, it should be pastured for a time in the spring, 

 or the crop should be run over with the mower about 

 June 1st, setting the mower bar so as to. cut 3 or 

 4 inches high. No harm will follow if some of the 

 tops of the clover should be cut off. The grass 

 and weeds thus cut are usually left on the ground, 

 but sometimes it may be necessary to remove them. 

 In a short time the field should be one mass of 

 bloom. 



The crop is ready for being harvested when the 

 bulk of the heads have turned a dark brown and 

 when the bulk of them have assumed a reddish 

 brown tint, notwithstanding that some of the later 



