long, and resembles a mitten in 

 shape. 



VARIETIES 



The varieties of red clover are 

 generally of two types — early- 

 flowering varieties that produce at 

 least two cuttings per season, and 

 late- flowering varieties that pro- 

 duce one cutting per season. 



Early-flowering varieties — they 

 are called "medium" or "double- 

 cut" varieties — are the most com- 

 mon type grown in the United 

 States. Late-flowering varieties 

 (called "mammoth" or "single- 

 cut") are grown where the growing 

 season is short — in the northern 

 latitudes of zone 1, in the high ele- 

 vations of zone 3, and in Alaska. 



A number of varieties of both 

 medium and mammoth types of red 

 clover are available. However, the 

 varieties are rather limited in their 

 areas of adaptation. Your county 

 agent or your State agricultural 

 experiment station can tell you 

 which varieties will grow best in 

 your locality. 



COMPANION CROPS 



Red clover is usually grown with 

 a companion crop of small grain — 

 oats, wheat, barley, rye — or with 

 timothy or other grasses. 



Companion crops always compete 

 with the clover, but they also offer 

 these advantages : 



• They permit a return from the 

 land the first year. 



• They tend to prevent a crop of 

 weeds from developing in the 

 clover. 



• They retard erosion before the 

 clover is established. 



• They reduce freezing injury to 

 the clover seedlings. 



If you decide to plant a small 

 grain as a companion crop, select 

 a variety that offers little competi- 

 tion to the clover — one that matures 

 early and has short straws and com- 

 paratively few leaves. A variety 

 that often lodges is, of course, a 

 hazardous companion crop. 



SOIL REQUIREMENTS 



Red clover grows best on well- 

 drained loam soil, but it is also 

 adapted to soils that are not so well 

 drained. Most soils that will pro- 

 duce good crops of corn, tobacco, 

 or small grain will also produce a 

 good crop of red clover. Some of 

 these soils will need lime or ferti- 

 lizer, or both. 



Red clover is most productive 

 on soil that is within a pH range 

 of Q.Q to 7.6. 1 It also needs phos- 

 phorus and potassium to produce 

 good yields. 



The amounts of these elements 

 that your field will need can be de- 

 termined best by a soil analysis. 

 For help, consult your county agent 

 or your State agricultural experi- 

 ment station. 



INOCULATION 



Inoculate red clover seed with 

 a commercial culture of nodulating 

 bacteria before sowing, especially 

 if you are planting land that has 



1 For an explanation of pH, see Farm- 

 ers' Bulletin 2124, "Liming Soils : An Aid 

 to Better Farming" ; available from U.S. 

 Department of Agriculture, Washington, 

 D.C., 20250. 



