THIRTY-SIXTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 251 



Clover and Timothy. 



The most common meadow mixture in Missouri is that of 

 red clover and timothy. Where these are sown together with a 

 nurse crop of small grain, the first crop of hay is usually secured 

 the year following the harvesting of the nurse crop, although on 

 the best lands a fair crop of clover may sometimes be secured 

 the same year they are seeded. The first year's crop is usually 

 almost pure clover and the second about an equal mixture of 

 clover and timothy, and if left a third year will be almost pure 

 timothy. The most common method of seeding this mixture is 

 with wheat or oats as the nurse crop. Where wheat is used, the 

 timothy may be sown in the fall with the wheat, sowing the clover 

 in the spring. The rate of seeding should be from eight to ten 

 pounds of timothy and six to eight pounds of clover. In this 

 case, the clover is usually sown in late February or early March 

 broadcast, sowing this some morning when the ground is ''honey- 

 combed" with frost and before it thaws. Other methods are 

 used by many farmers but this seems to be the most generally 

 successful. 



Where timothy is not fall sown a better practice but one 

 which requires more labor and greater judgment, is to wait until 

 the ground is dry enough to harrow, usually in March or early 

 April, broadcast both clover and timothy and harrow in. This 

 method is surer than any other if the ground dries sufficiently 

 early to crumble well under the harrow and the harrowing will 

 also be of benefit to the wheat. The difficulty comes in catching 

 the ground in the proper condition for harrowing but the prac- 

 tice is to be recommended where the soil dries sufficiently early 

 to allow it. Where timothy has been fall sown, however, it is 

 not wise to harrow in the clover in the spring on account of in- 

 jury to the young timothy plants. 



Where timothy and clover are put in with oats broadcast, 

 they may be sown at the same rates recommended above and all 

 harrowed together. This practice is not entirely satisfactory, 

 however, either for the oats or for the clover and timothy. A 



