Practical papers—Bed clover. 
3 55 
sown alone makes better bay than the large clover. It can be 
cut for hay by the middle of June, and after that, mature a full 
seed crop the same season. 
QUANTITY OF SEED. 
The quantity of clover seed required to seed an acre depends 
much on the quality of the seed and the time of sowing, but 
more on the condition of the soil as to fineness and mellowness 
so as to secure proper covering of the seed and perfect germina¬ 
tion. The best results on my farm have followed sowing eight 
pounds of seed per acre ; but thicker seeding is generally recom¬ 
mended, and is advisable unless all the attending circumstances 
are favorable for perfect germination of the seed, and the protec¬ 
tion of the young plants. 
For several years I have practiced seeding with clover nearly 
all the ground sown with wheat, oats or barley. I think it holds 
both the weeds and chinch bugs in check, besides furnishing a 
large amount of cheap manure, even though it be plowed under 
the following fall. 
“WINTER KILLING.” 
Winter killing of clover on the prairies, so much complained 
of, is undoubtedly due more to the treatment the plant receives, 
than to the severity of the winters. I think red clover is a bien¬ 
nial plant, and like many other biennial plants may live more 
than two years when the plants are prevented from maturing 
seeds. What many farmers regard as winter killing I believe is 
only the result of natural decay—that is, after a clover plant ma¬ 
tures its seed, it dies. 
Years ago I examined a clover field in the spring, from which I 
had taken my first crop of clover seed the fall previous. I found 
most of the plants dead—and many that appeared to be alive, 
were, upon a closer examination, found to have the tap roots dead, 
and only some of the lateral roots alive. Those plants soon fol¬ 
lowed the others. I had relied upon that clover for the principal 
part of my next hay crop. Its loss was a positive damage as well 
as a great inconvenience. A better knowledge of the habits of the 
clover plant would have saved me much inconvenience. That 
