Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-07-09

some or the thin spots, or the WhOle
field may possibly be so badly dam
aged that 1t will be necessary to pillow
1t up.
Curing Glover Hay.
in full bloom and before many of the
heads have turned brown. If cut ear
lier 1t is sappy and hard to cure. If
left later 1t becomes woody. AS soon
rs the cut clover has wilted little In
the swath 1t should be thrown togeth-
err into light windrows, preferably with
a side delivery rake. Cured In this
way the leaves are less liable to be-
come brittle and shake off. Well cured
clover leaves are almost as valuable
for feed as bran, SO care should be
taken to save as many Of them as pos
sible. AS soon as the hay has cured
sufficiently In the windrow it should
be gathered up with loader-if one
can be had-and put in the barn.
Glover has the reputation of being
troublesome crop to harvest. and many
farmers are shy of it on that account.
1t is true that clover growing for profit
demands good deal of intelligence,
but that is also the very factor which
brings success in all agricultural en-
terprises. With proper attention to the
habit Of the plant and with the exer-
else Of modicum of judgment In its
culture and harvesting there Is nothing
to be feared for the outcome.
Where it Is desired % obtain crop
Of seed the second crop should be used.
The first crop seldom fills well and is
always more valuable for hay than
for seed. Most thrashing machines
have a clover hulling attachment. It
should be carefully adjusted so as to
get all the seed. A bushel to a bushei
and half of seed per acre is good
yield. The yield Of hay Is from one to
two tons to the acre for the first crop
and little more than half as much
for the second crop. Where the fields
are fenced the second crop may often
be pastured to advantage.
Alsike clover finds place on land
that is too wet for the red variety. It
does not yield us well, but 1t makes
better pasture. BY loosening up the
sod in the low corners of the pasture
with the disk and sowing four pounds
Of alsike to the acre Its value may be
greatly increased. In seeding field to
red clover it Is well to scatter little
alsike in the low spots. 1t will be sure
to grow whether the other does or not
Handling Alfalfa.
What has been said about alfalfa
J does not mean that it is not to be
grown at all except in the drier re-
gions of the west, but that it is to be
introduced into new regions carefully
and ON small scale. The surest way
to get stand Of alfalfa is to fallow the
land during the spring and early sum-
mer. About the middle of July seed
bed may be prepared and the alfalfa
sown at the rate Of twenty to twenty
five pounds to the acre. If the ground
is not too dry stand will usually be
secured in this way, since the fallow-
ing will have destroyed most of the
weeds. The objection to this plan is
that no crop is obtained from the land
that year.
A more economical way is to start
with a crop Of early oats or barley. AS
soon as this is harvested the land
should be disked thoroughly and the
alfalfa seed sown. If the ground Is 30
dry and hard that the disk will not
take hold 1t will have to be plowed.
The main thing is to get the seed in as
quickly as possible. The chances of
securing stand are much improved
II thin dressing of manure is given
the land before sowing. After the al
falfa once gets start it is very hardy
and good yielder, giving four to six
tons of hay year. 1t should be cut
when about one-tenth Of the plants are
in bloom. The second spring disk
run over the field will split up the
crowns and thicken the stand, discour-
aging the weeds and loosening the soil
as well.