Development, 
Harvesting. 
128 
If the season be favourable, red- clover sown in a cereal crop developes  suffi- 
ciently by autumn of the same year to be used either for pasturage or cropping; of 
course, only a small crop can be taken. Stubble clover, as this crop is called, ought to 
be cut early enough to allow some development of the buds to take place before they are 
surprised by frost. The shoots produced by the development of these autumn buds have 
always two surfaces and two edges, and, during winter, lie quite flat on the ground. The 
plant, in fact, brings itself as close as possible to the eround to protect itself against the 
frost which acts most injuriously when severe, or when followed by sudden thaw. In 
spring, the young shoots and leaves again begin to grow and form new shoots. 
Flowering takes place about the end of May or the beginning of June. 
When used green, cutting ought to commence some time before flowering; if left 
later, the stem becomes hard and woody. In its youth red clover is richest in albuminoids 
and contains least woody-fibre as shewn by Litthausen’s analyses. 
Red clover hay containing 16.7 °/o of walter is composed of: 
Quite young: 13th June. 23rd June. 20th July. 
Albuminoids —. . 21.9 °/o 13.8 °/o 11.2 /o 9.5 %/o 
Woody-fibre _. * 24.7 °/o 32.8 °/o 32.9 °/o 4.8.7 °/o 
It is clear that as the plant grows older, the more useful constituents gradually diminish 
while the less valuable increase. 
Further, the nutritive matter contained in young clover is more digestible than that in older 
plants, as shewn by the following data obtained by Kiihne. Of the following constituents present there 
were digested: 
Cut on 20th May. Cut on 7th June. Cut on 20th June. 
Before flowering. Flowering beginning. Flowering almost past. 
Albuminoids — . ' 70.9 °/o 65.0 °/o 58.8 °/o 
Fibre ; 50.6 °/o 4.6.6 °/o 39.8 °/o 
Non-nitrogenous extractives 70.2 °/o 68.4 °/o 66.3 °/o 
In another set of experiments made on green clover cut at different stages of growth, the following 
result was obtained; 
Quite young. Before flowering. During flowering. After flowering. 
Fibre digested 60 °/o 53 °/o 50 °/o 39 %/o 
Voelcker’s experiments show that the maximum produce is obtained by cutting twice a year; cul 
three or four times, the produce is less; if 5 or 6 times, still less; but if only once cut the smallest 
yield is obtained. At the experimental station of Tharand, near Dresden, red clover was cut 6 times 
between 29 May and 24" June to imitate depasturing by cattle. Clover cut in this way was examined 
and compared with another sample taken from a part of the same field which had only been cut twice 
viz. on 7 July and 24 August. The following were the results per acre: — 
Dry substance. Albuminoids, Fibre. 
Clover mown six times 4678 Ibs. 984 lbs. 1020 Ibs. 
Clover mown twice. 9297 ,, AZAD. 5 3126 ,, 
It is thus evident that frequent cutting or depasturing reduces the yield, stunts the growth and 
shortens the life of the plant, 
Red clover is generally used in the green state. Conversion into hay is always asso- 
ciated with a certain amount of loss, depending upon the weather and the system of 
hay-making. 
The leaflets as they dry become brittle and readily break off. If the system of hay_ 
making involves frequent moving and turning, the loss of leaf is evidently proportionally 
