The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-03-31
Clover.-Its Varieties and Cult ure.

The three most prominent varieties o.
clover are the purple, Dutch, and cow.grass
the common red or broad clover being
lha, which Is most highly esteemed and
generally cultivated by our farmers, on &c.
count Of It's valuable qualities for neat cat.
tie, especially when sown with some desir.
able variety oi common grass. II is gener-
ally considered more valuable for mich
COWS and other horned cattle, than for hor-
ses, il often producing in the latter q
cough when, unmixed. Mr.. Smith, for
some time President Of The Sullivan County
Agricultural Society, N. y, states rs the 70.
suit Of his experience, that when clover and
timothy are raised together, the large kind
Of clover is 10 be preferred, as il is harder
and grows larger than the common June
clover, and because ilripens at the same
time with the timothy he also regards il
as OF equal value TO The latter, when Of fine
growth, Gu, al the proper stage, and cured
in small cocks, without being spread in the
sun to dry. The relative value Of these .wo
articles us feed for cows, was tested by Mr..
Smith in the following manner :: A par
Of his barn he filed with clover hay, and
fed seven cows on il all winier; in another
part Of the barn were kept six cows, fed on
The best quality Of timothy hay, the cows
in both cases being all alike and under The
care of the same man. The result was,
that in the spring, those kept on clover were
in condition SO superior 10 the Others, rs
10 pu, all doubt at rest Us 10 the respective
value OF The two kinds of feed. MIR. s.
also considers The clover much more valua.
bio as a fertilizer, having long tap.rools
which penetrate deep into The soil and
bring up the fer,ilizing elements 10 the sur
face The roots also, when they decay, form
a rich mixture of vegetable matter, which
renders The soil light and porous, while the
roots OF the timothy merely skim along the
surface, the soil beneath becoming hard,
impervious 10 the air and wafer, and itS pro.
duciiveness deprecated. Z l.1hi aIr. =
Spreading clover hay from The swaih
causes the leaves and blossoms 10 dry and
crumble before The stems are sufficiently
cured, so that the finer paris Of The hay arc
lost, or The crop is housed with 80 much
moisture as 10 canso II to heat and deprcci-
ate. The better plan is 10 spread only when
il has become wet with rain in iae swaili,
aud should be gathered again before The
leaves dry aud crumble. The clover should
he left 10 wilt in The swalh, and, when par.
tally dried, either turn the swaih or make
grass cocks the same day, SO as 10 secure
the dried portions from the dew. These
grass.cocks may be allowed 10 stand one,
two, or three days, according 10 the wealth.
er, and 10 the progress Of the curing, when
they shonhl DO opened in the forenoon Of a
fair day, The hay again turned over about
noon, aud soon after turning gathered for
The cart. Many prefer moving the clover
before II gets very ripe, as then 40 much Of
the seed would not be shaken of during The
operation, removing, &C. 2'4 i'r 90 .'.
As The hay ofihe seed crop Is seldom,
considered o! much value, except for litter
or manure, !. is frequently leG long in the
field to become thoroughly dry, SO as 10 IN
sure il against heating IN the NOW or s'ack,
rs this would be- fnr moro injurious 70 mo
seed than exposure to The weather. Pso'
pies Journal. a'i --, oat ri.