if it contains sufficient moisture to sprout the seed 

 On very thin and worn soils the growth is small com- 

 pared with that on fertile soils. We use sweet 

 clover to build up thin and much depleted soils- 

 fields that have become useless as pasture— those 

 filled with washes and gullies These fields generally 

 have a growth of small bushes or briers, where they 

 have been lying idle for several years. These are 

 cut and tramped into the ruts. The tops of the little 

 ridges are dug off and raked into the ruts, which help 

 to hold the briers and bushes in place until they are 

 converted into humus. If the washes and gullies 

 are not too deep the seed is harrowed in -with a 

 double A harrow; otherwise the seed is sown early 

 in the spring, just as soon as the soil can be stirred, 

 and about half a bushel of spring oats sown with it. 

 The amount of seed to be sown per acre on fields as 

 described above is 15 or 20 lbs.; on soil that is rea- 

 sonably fertile, where sown for hay or pasture, 25 

 to 30 lbs. per acre. Where sown to produce seed, 

 the soil should be reasonably fertile and 15 lbs. of seed 

 per acre sown broadcast, and harrowed in. Sow as 

 early in the spring as the soil can be stirred. For fall 

 seeding, prepare a good seed-bed and sow the seed in 

 October. 



Sweet clover for hay should be cut just as the first 

 blossoms appear. If left standing longer the stems 

 become woody, and a great many of the leaves fall 

 off when cured. Great care should be exercised to pre- 

 vent the hay sun-burning, as this will destroy the 

 palatableness and its nutritive properties. There is 

 no better way to fit a piece of ground for alfalfa 

 than to seed to sweet clover, cut off a crop of hay 

 the first season, and plow under the second season 

 when the clover is about a foot tall; then cultivate 

 with drag and harrow until the first of September, 

 then seed to alfalfa. The sweet clover improves the 

 soil and inoculates it with the nitrogen-gathering 

 bacteria which are so necessary to the existence of 

 alfalfa. When seeding for hay I would not use any 

 nurse crop; and do not cut too close to the ground 

 the first time. Leave five or six inches of stubble to 



m 



