AGKICULTUEAL CLOVEES. 81 



For meadows, Alsike Clover is far superior to White Clover, 

 as it produces a crop tall enough for the scythe, and materially 

 adds to the total weight of hay. It also produces more keep 

 and is better relished than White Clover. On some soils it will 

 grow quite as much herbage as Eed Clover, and as the vegeta- 

 tion is principally composed of leaves, care is requisite in the 

 process of making hay, or the leaves get broken off and lost, 

 especially as the plant is more succulent than Eed Clover and 

 takes longer to make into hay. 



The time of flowering approximates to that of Cow Grass, 

 and the nutritive value is highest at the flowering stage. The 

 plant is not hasty in getting old and pithy, as is the case with Eed 

 Clover. After cutting, Alsike Clover shoots quickly, but the 

 growth is low, and the total of the aftermath only equal to 

 half the first cut. Still its value as a pasture plant is very 

 great indeed, and it is one of the best clovers for alternate hus- 

 bandry. It flourishes in the same deep moist soil as Timothy, 

 and but for its earlier flowering would make an excellent com- 

 panion to that grass. It is, however, quite at home with Tall Oat 

 Grass, Italian Eye Grass, and Cocksfoot. 



The botanical description and chemical analysis are given on 

 page 180, facing an illustration. 



TEIFOLIUM MINUS 

 (Yellow Suckling). 



This clover is by no means unworthy a place in a permanent 

 mixture, for although its growth is very small and the produce 

 scanty on the gravelly soils and stony places where Yellow 

 Suckling is generally found, on strong land and on the greensands 

 it is of considerable value, forming a dense mass of herbage and 

 seeding itself down every year. When grown with Eye Grass, 

 and cut before it gets old, it makes excellent hay which is much 

 relished by. stock. In such a case the roots cannot be depended 



G 



