Yield. 
Pasture. 
Nutritive 
value. 
Seed harvest. 
86 
contain 8°9°/o of albuminoid matter, whereas the stem has only 1°95 °/o. Assuming an 
acre to yield 21,100 Ibs. of Alsike, Ritthausen reckons the total amount of albuminoids at 
728 Ibs.; 383 lbs. in the leaves, and 345 Ibs. in the stems. If the leaves are allowed to 
fall off, more than half of the total albuminoid matter is lost. Further, the albuminoids 
contained in the leaves are of more value than those in the stems, because a larger per- 
centage can be assimilated, and thus the actual loss is much greater than half the total 
albuminoid matter, 
As remarked above, the first crop is much larger than the second; the latter, on an average, is 
about half as large as the former. In Saxony, Pinkert estimates the yield at 4000 to. 4840 Ibs. per acre 
and sometimes it becomes as high as 5720 lbs. Schober estimates the produce of the first crop at 3080 lbs. 
per acre; and, according to Werner, the total yield of the two cuttings ranges from 3500 tu 4400 Ibs. 
per acre. The plants in the first crop are tall, often 5 feet high. 
Alsike is very suitable for pastures, as new shoots are rapidly produced after depasturing by 
catlle. For this reason, Alsike often forms an important constituent in pasture mixtures, more especially 
in Northern lands. It is not so readily eaten by stock as white clover, probably because of its slightly 
hitter taste. 
Chemical analysis shows that the nutritive value is very high, and in this respect 
this is not inferior to white clover. According to Wolff, the composition is as follows: — 
0 é Non - nitro- 
Water ~'8°™° Albumin Fibre genous Fat 
matter : 
extractive 
Green Alsike °%o °%/o °/o %o °%/o °/o 
At the commencement of flowering . . . . 85:0 13°5 3°3 hed od 0°6 
rte 
Amount digested .  .. 24 5°8 0-4 
(Ratio of albuminoid to non- -aibuabindid matter L: 3° 2) 
In full flower th Se a EP ee Ue Otis hae 3°3 6°0 6°3 0.6 
oo 
Amount digested .  . . ; : 18 6°9 03 
(Ratio of albuminoid to non- salbtuminoritiatten Be ot 3) 
Dry Alstke. 7. «. +. ~¢ Ve qe SY Se beg 79°8 154 27°6 33°h 34 
Set et 
Amount digested . . . 8°6 35.6 4-9 
(Ratio of albuminoid to Hoealbuminot iilattt 1:4 6) 
Harvesting, impurities, and adulteration of seed. Alsike yields a very profitable seed 
crop. In Sweden, and in Northern and Southern Germany, large quantities are grown for 
this purpose. Moist soils are not very suitable for a seed crop; for this purpose, those soils 
should be selected which are of a drier type. On these, the clover neither becomes 
too tall, nor is it liable to be laid. The seed must be taken from the first crop, because 
the second does not usually reach maturity. The latter can only be used for seed 
when the first cutting has taken place very early in the season, about the middle or 
the end of May. In this case, the crop will be ready about the beginning of September. 
The seed readily falls off the plant, and may be largely diminished from this cause 
if certain precautions are not taken to prevent the loss. The crop ought to be taken 
When the heads have become brown, and when the seeds are of cheesy consistence. 
The produce must be very carefully dried. The best mode of procedure is to separate 
the flowers at once; drying may then be proceeded with. Threshing is not at all difficult. 
It is important, however, before threshing, to allow the seeds to become thoroughly dry ; 
