Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-08-23

after 1T is put into ticks or barns.
No other rehandling is necessary, ex-
cept that which is incident to the
hauling and storing of it. lie threaten
ing weather put up nv hay in the
barn after one days sun, but in that
case | rehaudle it after thirty-six
hours, and it is thus aired thorough
ly. My opinion is that fermenta-
ton, If left undisturbed, will iuiure
the hay for food, because it usually
induces mould, and in this condi-
tion it is Objectionable to stock. /
never stop cutting hay for rain,
though protracted rain will ruin
it. One rain only will make it of
dull color, but does not materially
change its value as food for stock.
II should always be borne in mind
that clover hay will not shed rain.
The best farmers now build open
sheds in the field for storing it.
When stacked it should either be
thatched or have thick top-cover-
ing of wheat straw or other hay.
Glover hay is more difficult to cure
than hay from any of the true
grasses, and this arises from the fact
that it contains more water than the
true grasses. For this reason, also,
it is more difficult to keep, being more
liable to damage in the NOW. 1t
will not bear handling or transpor-
tation except when damp, and while
it will always be a favorite hay for
home consumption, it will never be
shipped to distant markets like tim
othy hay. For horses and mules
clover hay is very nutritious.
SAVING OF CLOVER SEED.
The saving of clover seed is an
important industry of itself, and all
Southern farmers who grow clover
ought to be able to save seed enough
for their own purposes. Three
bushels have often been gathered
per acre, though the usual average
is from one and ore-half to two
bushels per acre.
The first crop of clover coming to
maturity in June has but few seed
and it is necessary to remove this
crop either 10y moving or 10y depas-
turing with stock, the second crop
which springs up Immediately after
the first is removed, is the only one
relied upon for the production of
seed.
The second crop of clover in
tended for seed should stand until
the husks have become quite brown
and the seeds have passed the milky
state. It should then be moved and
allowed to lie upon the ground until
well cured. After it is cured it is
raked up into swaths. Unlike clo-
yer intended for hay, rain will rather
benefit than injure it, making it
easier to separate the haulm from
the seeds, which is done by passing
it through clover thresher or an
ordinary separator. A clover -huller
attachment may be adjusted to the
separator below the vibrator which
hulls the seeds, aud they are sepa-
rated from the chaff by the fan, care
being taken to shut off as much air
as possible by closing the sliding
doors of the separator.
The yield of clover seed can be in
creased by top-dressing the field with
stable manure after the frat crop is
taken off for hay or depastured. The
earlier the first crop is taken off after
it comes into bloom the more abun-
dant will be the yield of seed. Up
lands, as general thing, will yield
more seed than bottom lands, though
the clover attains a larger growth
on the latter than on the former.
The clover is cut for seed about the
first of September, and after the
haulm is exposed to the weather for
two or three weeks it will thresh all
the better. The threshing is usually
done 10 the open field.
Some farmers are of the opinion
that better catch Of clover may be
obtained by sowing the seed in the
chaff. Thirty bushels of seed IN the
chaff are usually equivalent to one
bushel Of clean seed. The second
crop of clover is unfit for hay, caus-
ing abundant salvation with horses
and mules. This is probably due to
the greater quantity of seed which il
contains. Nothing is better, how.
ever. to renovate CALLED spots in q
field than the haulm when scattered
over such places, and at the same
time, good stand of clover is as.
sured.
1t Is curious fact, and one, / be-
lieve, first mentioned by Mr.. Darwin
that the bumblebee plays an impor.
tant part in the fertilization of this
plant. Careful observation has de
termined the fact that the amount
of clover seed gathered from par
ticular field will, other things beins
equal, be in proportion to the mum
ber of bumblebees that feed upor
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