CLOVER 
196 
weeks before other hay and before the lar¬ 
ger part of the nectar, which it is possible 
to obtain, has been gathered. 
THE CULTURE OF ALSIKE CLOVER. 
A loamy soil containing sufficient lime, 
phosphates, and vegetable matter or humus 
is best adapted to growing alsike clover. 
The ground should be thoroly ploughed, 
turning under carefully all weeas and 
grass. “The application of manures for 
the clover in any considerable amount is 
unnecessary. If clovers are grown on 
manures they will feed on the nitrogen in 
the manure; they will not draw from the 
air for that element. Growing clover on 
manures, therefore, is not the best econ¬ 
omy.” Moreover, the grasses, such as tim¬ 
othy and redtop, with which clover is usu¬ 
ally sown, will make a vigorous growth 
and crowd out the clover so that the hay 
will contain little of it. On eastern soils 
400 to 600 pounds of a fertilizer, contain¬ 
ing a moderate percentage of nitrogen and 
phosphoric acid but rich in potash, may 
be used. In the West less potash is needed. 
All the clovers require lime, but alsike will 
succeed with a less amount than the other 
cultivated species. The bacteria, which live 
on the roots and appropriate the nitrogen 
from the air, will die in an acid soil. The 
presence of sorrel indicates an acid condi¬ 
tion; or, if a piece of blue litmus paper 
placed in damp soil turns red, lime is re¬ 
quired. It may be applied in various 
forms, such as air-slacked lime or ground 
limestone; but the latter is advised as it 
is equally efficient and cheaper in price. 
From 2,000 to 4,000 pounds to the acre 
may be used to advantage. After the lime 
has been distributed by hand or a manure 
spreader, the soil should be thoroly har¬ 
rowed and leveled. 
SEEDING. 
Alsike clover may be seeded with the 
cereals, or with various kinds of grasses 
and fodder plants, or alone. As when 
fully grown it is liable to lodge and rot, it 
is advisable to sow with grass, as redtop or 
orchard grass on wet land, and timothy on 
drier land. When used with cereals, it 
may be sown either in the fall or early in 
the spring when the ground is soft and 
wet. Tt may be seeded with oats altho bar¬ 
ley is preferred, while with wheat it may 
prove an entire failure. If a heavy crop 
of grain is raised, the clover will suffer 
from want of water and a poor stand will 
be obtained. If the clover is the first con¬ 
sideration, the seeding of the nurse crop of 
grain must be very light. From three to 
four-fold as many pounds of clover can 
be obtained when it is sown alone as with 
oats. 
Alsike clover seed is about half the size 
of that of red clover, and it may be easily 
separated from the latter by means of a 
sieve with meshes of the proper size. It is 
desirable that the seed should be tested, as 
much inferior seed containing a great quan¬ 
tity of weed seed is placed on the market. 
When alsike is sown alone 12 to 16 pounds 
to the acre are recommended. If, however, 
it is sown with timothy or redtop, as ad¬ 
vised above, from 2 to 5 pounds of alsike, 
12 pounds of timothy, or 10 pounds of red- 
top, may be used. These numbers are only 
approximate and will vary according to 
conditions. Red clover is sometimes seeded 
with alsike, as it increases the crop the first 
year or two and disappears later. It is 
desirable that the seed should be lightly 
covered with a smoothing harrow. 
CURING ALSIKE FOR HAY. 
In curing alsike for hay great care 
should be taken to prevent the leaves and 
smaller stems, which contain the larger 
portion of the proteins, from being lost; 
and to protect it as much as possible from 
exposure to rain or dew, or to the sun. It 
should not be cut before it is in full bloom 
and the blossoms are beginning to turn 
brown; but, if permitted to stand too long, 
the stems will become woody. It. is usually 
cured in the windrow, avoiding any un¬ 
necessary exposure to the sun, which causes 
the leaves to bleach and become brittle. 11' 
raked into windrows, or bunched, or placed 
in the mow when wet with either dew or 
rain, it will be injured. It should never 
be stored in stacks outdoors, if this can be 
avoided. As a forage plant it is equal or 
superior to red clover or timothy, produc¬ 
ing a large flow of very rich milk. 
GATHERING THE SEED. 
The seed is always saved from the first 
crop of blossoms, and it should be allowed 
