8 



plied with abundant moisture, white clover continues to grow and 

 blossom throughout the summer. Seed is continually setting, and 

 two or more seed crops are often produced. 



The seed crop is usually cut with an ordinary mower, as shown 

 in figure 3. Some growers prefer to use a short cutting bar to pre- 

 vent the skipping of heads that may otherwise result from an uneven 

 soil surface. The clover is generally raked into windrows and al- 

 lowed to cure thoroughly. Some growers fasten to the cutting bar a 

 metal pan into which the heads are raked by a man who walks be- 

 hind the mower. "When the pan is filled, the clover is raked into 

 bunches and allowed to cure. After 7 to 10 days in the windrow or 



Figure 3. — Harvesting white clover seed in Idaho. 



bunch the heads may be threshed with a clover huller equipped with 

 screens of small mesh. A considerable amount of seed is unavoid- 

 ably lost in harvesting operations because the heads break off readily. 

 Damp, moist weather at the time the seed crop is curing is responsible 

 for the browning of seed, which lowers the quality, although germina- 

 tion may not be materially reduced. In the Northwestern States two 

 seed crops are often harvested at one time; the first crop of seed 

 heads is left until the second crop is mature ; then both crops are har- 

 vested together. Because of the necessity of irrigating the clover for 

 the second growth the water somewhat discolors the first crop of 

 seed. To produce a seed crop of high quality the fields must be free 

 from alsike clover, timothy, and sorrel, as common cleaning equip- 

 ment cannot separate the seed of these plants from the white clover 

 seed. 



U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1936 



For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. 



Price 5 cents 



