SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF FARM LABOR. 7 
The ordinary method of seeding to clover and grasses in the region 
studied is to drill in timothy at the time of seeding wheat and broad- 
cast clover in the spring before the ground has settled. The dry and 
hot weather in summer has a tendency to burn out the young clover 
in wheat. Hence, the practice of preparing wheat stubble and seed- 
ing both clover and timothy in August obviates this difficulty and 
this method of seeding is being more generally practiced. 
The results obtained seem to justify the additional labor required 
for preparation and seeding. The writer has observed many excel- 
lent crops of clover obtained by this method of seeding, whereas by 
the old method it is quite common to see an overabundance of white 
top and other weeds. Where seeding clover in wheat is still done, 
clipping the wheat stubble in July or August has resulted in a better 
and cleaner growth the following year. 
The practice of mixing alfalfa with clover and timothy for August 
seeding is strongly recommended by a few farmers in order not only 
to assist in inoculating the soil with the alfalfa bacteria, but also to 
improve the quality of hay. The following seed mixture has given 
good results: 5 to 6 quarts of alfalfa, 4 quarts o red clover, 3 quarts 
of alsike clover, and 2 to 3 quarts of timothy. This will usually give 
two cuttings annually, and sometimes three cuttings. The first 
will be largely of timothy and clover and the later cuttings almost 
pure alfalfa. 1 
Under good weather conditions, clover and timothy hay requires 
very little handwork except in loading and storing, and a hay loader 
is used on many farms. The advantage of its use, however, is 
doubtful with clover and alfalfa. Hay caps for protecting alfalfa are 
used only on a few of the farms visited, but those who do use them 
believe that they are of decided advantage, with very little additional 
labor in harvesting, and that the increased value of the hay, due to 
improvement in quality, is sufficient to justify their use. This 
improvement in quality is due to the saving of the leaves of the plant 
and the preservation of its original green color. The soy bean, in 
labor requirements, does not seriously compete with other field crops. 
While the preparation of oats usually interferes with the planting of 
corn or potatoes, ground for soy beans, on the other hand, may be 
prepared and planted after corn has been planted, and the crop can be 
harvested for hay before silo-filling time, or as grain after the corn 
crop has been cut. In either case, the land can be cleared in time to 
sow to fall grain. 
i In order to be sure of a permanent stand of alfalfa, farmers should give attention to the essentials as to 
the quality of seed, use of lime, inoculation, and the preparation of the seed bed for alfalfa adopted by 
successful growers as the result of years of experience in the region and other regions having similar agri- 
cultural conditions. 
