BIRDSFOOT TREFOIL AND BIG TREFOIL 



9 



European writers report yields comparable to those obtained in 

 the United States at the stations reporting, and the experience of 

 growers in this country justifies the statement that where birdsfoot 

 trefoil does well, good yields can be expected and that two cuttings 

 for bay can be made. Although nearly 4 tons of hay per acre can be 

 obtained sometimes, it is probable that from 1 to 2 tons per acre is 

 nearer the average. 



HARVESTING FOR SEED 



Birdsfoot trefoil and big trefoil are both difficult to harvest for 

 seed. The seed ripens unevenly, and one plant will have both given 



Figure 3. — Birdsfoot trefoil with well-developed seed pods and flowers on the 



same plants. 



and ripe pods at the same time (fig. 3). When ripe, the pods open 

 easily, and this results in considerable loss of seed. In order to get 

 maximum seed yields, it is necessary to watch the plants closely and 

 to harvest when the maximum of seed is sufficiently mature. This 

 will be when the first pods are well browned and a goodly number have 

 turned a dark-violet color. The plants will still be green. Cutting 

 can be done with a reaper or a mower with or without swather attach- 

 ments. The cut material should be windrowed, then put in shocks, 

 and later stacked or threshed, depending on facilities available. The 

 seed immediately after harvest should be watched closely to prevent 

 damage, as the moisture from the immature seed may cause molding. 

 Seed yields vary, but 100 pounds of clean seed per acre is the usual 

 quantity saved by the few growers who have harvested the crop in 



