Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1882-02-25
Saving Clover Seed.
]. B. KILLEBREW.

AOT AL drClcle tnat is now considered q
prime necessity to good farming, has
been estimated to be more than $780,
0OO annually. Were the lands of Ten
nessee incapable of producing clover
seed, there would be reason for this ex-
penditure. In point of fact, however,
no section of the Union will produce,
acre ior acre, larger quantity of clio.
yer seed. Three bushels per acre have
often been gathered, although the usual
average is about one and half bushels.
AS the first crop of clover, coming
to maturity in June, will not perfect
its seed, it is necessary to take off that
first crop, either by feeding or moving
for hay, and relying for seed on the
after crop, The quantity of seed Of
this crop will depend much upon the
weather. Should there be much rain
or heavy winds, the yield of seed will
be small, but when the weather has
been fine and calm and the seed free
from dock and other noxious seeds, the
crop will he found as remuneratiye as
any other grown by the farmer. A
bushel of clover seed will weigh usu
ally about 81 pounds, though 60 pounds
is the standard bushel In the market.
The second crop of clover should be
allowed to stand until the husks have
become quite brown and the seeds have
passed the milky state. 1t should then
be moved and permitted to lie upon
the ground until it is well cured. After
it is cured rake it up into swaths. Rain
will rather benefit than injure it, max
ing it easier to separate the heads from
the haulm, which is done by passing
through an ordinary wheat separator.
A clover huller attachment is adjusted
to the separator below the vibrator,
which hulls the seeds, and they are
separated from the chat by the fan,
care being taken to shut off as much
air as possible by closing the sliding
doors.
The crop of seed is largely increased
by moving or feeding of the first crop
of clover about the first of June, and
then top-dressing with stable manure
The earlier the first crop is cut the
larger will be the crop of seed. By
treating the clover fields in this way,
as much as three bushels of seed have
been obtained from an acre, Uplands
will yield more seed than bottom lands,
but they should be enriched by liberal
application of manure. About the first
of September is the time to NOW for
seed, and the straw will thresh all the
better for being exposed to the weather
for three weeks. The threshing is
usually done in the field, though the
haulm may be hauled up after being
thoroughly dry, and stacked with a good
straw covering, or else stored away un,
der shelter on a good tight floor until
it suits the convenience of the farmer
to thresh. Care should be taken not
to run over or tramp upon the clover
after it is dried, as many seeds are thus
shelled out and lost. The better plan
is to haul to the thresher just as soon
as the. straw is in proper condition to
thresh. This will save the trouble and
expense Of stacking
Mr.. j. X. P. Wallace, writing from
Anderson county to Rural Sun thu,
describes the method in that county.
We take six or eight horse (tht
latter the better) power lever threshing
machine, and attach to it the ordinary
box, that is, such as does not have The
grain-cleaning apparatus, because this
would fan seed and all away. We
first run the clover straw through
which takes all the seeds off and thor
oughly tears up the heads. Then W
plank up the (box) machinery, leaving
a small opening in front of the cylinder
say six or seven inches square, anC
leave smaller one at the opposite up
per corner at the rear Of the cylinder
Then with small handled paddle w
feed the threshed.of heads through
again. The seeds are then thoroughly
hulIed, ready for the tanning mill.
Some farmers prefer to SOW in the
chat, believing that better stand 0
clover is thus secured. Usually abou
thirty bushels in the chat are consid
cred equivalent to one Of cleaned seed
Of course this will depend greatly upol
the yield of seed, and experiment
, ought to be made to determine the rel
alive amount to sow when in chaR.
g 1t is a curious fact, and one, be
lieve first mentioned by Mr.. Darwin
that the humble bee plays an importan
part in the fertilization of this plant
, Careful observation will no doubt re
veal the fact that the amount of Glove
seed gathered from a particular field
other things being equal, he in proper
ton to the number of humble bees tina
feed upon the flowers. In the act q
feeding they gather the pollen from OF
flower and transfer it to the next on
upon which they light, thus acting a
important agents in the qualification q
, the flower, and consequently increasin
5 the production of seed.
A writer in a French journal relate
I this suggestive experiment: "Afte