Middletown transcript., 1896-08-29
SECOND GROWTH OF CLOVER.
1t Makes hay of Fine Quality Glow
Seed Profitable Crop.

It Makes Hay of Fine Quality Glover
Seed Profitable Crop.
No part of the growth of clover ID
more important for increasing soil fer
tility or more valuable for the farme,
than Is that made during the latter part
Of summer, after the first crop has been
removed. 1t is always less in bulk than
the first crop, but the hay made is Of
finer quality and has greater nutritive
value than the first in proportion to its
weight. The fact that there is progress
i've development of the clover plant dur
ing the entire season shows the mistake
of farmers in olden times in plowing
under clover in June for wheat. There
is an immense increase in clover roots
during the second growth. It is at this
time, too, that the greatest number Of
the nodules are formed ON clover roots
by means Of which the air in the soil is
decomposed and its nitrogen is made
available.
Growing clover seed is made one Of
the most profitable crops that the farmer
can produce. It always follows crop
of clover grown for hay, which of itself
pays the use CT the land, leaving the
clover seed and the extra hay crop as
clear profit. The clover seed scattered
in harvesting il by no means lost. tire
mains in the soil for years, and as sue
cessive strata are brought to the surface
by the plow it will increase the chances
Of q good clover catch. This second
growth does not always seed we'll The
farmer can soon know how this Is by
going into the field and examining the
heads. A yield Of six or eight seeds per
head will give fair crop. If much less
than this the clover should be cut earlier
ard made into hay The earlier the hay
Is made the better will be the chances
for getting it in without much staining
The hay should be cured in the cock, for
it will turn black if exposed to rains.
Glover left for seed Is necessarily left
later, and is usually very black when it
is got into the NOW or stack. It cannot
well be thrashed until cold weather,
because there will be some heating Of
the partly dry clover. But the seed will
not be injured, as it will be protected
by the chaff, explains American Guilt
vator, the authority here quoted.
If it is desired to leave clover third
year after seeding it can be done by cut
ting the clover several times in season.
taking small hay crop each time after
the first and never allowing the clover
to seed. Three. four and even five hay
crops may thus be taken. Land thus
treated will be in fine condition to pro-
duce good corn or potato crop If plowed
the following spring. But there may be
cases when the field will be needed for
hay. and the clover thus kept to Its
third year will show strong tendency
to seed with its first crop and then die
off. It should therefore be cut just as
soon or little before it is in blossom,
and it will then be richer than clover hay
grown the second year after sowing.
Here and There.
4 Connecticut farmer sprays witn
steam power. He mounts portable
steam engine on a wagon and uses it to
work the pump.
At the Vermont station spraying with
bordeaux gave 270 bushels Of potatoes
free from blight, unsprayed acres Of the
same field giving only 80 bushels
John B. Noble, East Windsor. Conn.,,
has been appointed state dairy commits
sioner by Governor Coffin.
At the New York state experiments
station since July, 1890, there haye
been collected and analyzed by this
station over 2. 700 samples Of commer-
cial fertilizers, manufactured By over
ta0sdifferent fxms :