More seed is usually produced on soils of medium fertility than on 

 rich soils, since fertile soils seem to stimulate the growth of stems and 

 leaves rather than develop flower heads. 



Large yields and ease of harvesting seed are two important reasons 

 why crimson clover is such an ideal legume crop. Farmers can save 

 seed with very little expense other than their own labor. When the 

 seed heads are mature they readily shatter and are easily harvested 

 either by hand stripping or by using horse-drawn home-made strip- 

 pers. One bushel of unhulled seed contains about 2 pounds of hulled 

 seed, and although bulky, it can -be easily stored on the farm until fall. 



When the seed is mature the crop is cut with a mower (fig. 4), which 



a fe«§ !! ««§i. 



Figure 4. — Crimson clover seed crop cut with a mower equipped with a 



bunching attachment. 



may be equipped with a bunching or win dro wing attachment, or it 

 can be harvested with a combine. During wet seasons it is sometimes 

 difficult to combine the seed from standing plants. Under such con- 

 ditions the plants can be cut and windrowed and than threshed by 

 the combine from the windrow. As crimson clover shatters easily 

 when ripe, cutting with the mower when the heads are damp with dew 

 or rain is recommended. If it is allowed to stand too long after 

 ripening a beating rain will shatter much of the seed. After a few 

 days of curing, the seed is hulled with an ordinary clover huller, with a 

 grain separator equipped with hulling attachments, or by a combine 

 equipped with pick-up attachments or used as a stationary machine. 

 The less the clover is handled the less seed will be lost by shattering. 

 Many troublesome weeds are difficult to separate from crimson 

 clover seed, including field peppergrass (Lepidium campestre), winter- 

 cress (Barbarea praecox), and the bulblets of wild onion ((Allium spp.), 

 which are probably the worst. Seed of the mustards, rapes, and 

 turnips (Brassica spp.), dock (Rumex crispus), wild geranium {Gera- 

 nium dissedum), sorrel (Rumex acetosella), and catchweed (Galium 

 aparine) are also found in the seed. ■ Little barley (Hordeum pusillum) 

 is a pest in unhulled seed, and the use of such seed will naturally 

 increase the prevalence of this weed. 



U. S. GOVLF 



»ENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1947 



For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, TJ. S. Government Printing Office 

 Washington 25, D. C. - Price 5 cents 



