Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-04-15
(Rv ]. N. WEsrGATE.

NBy j. NJ. WESTGATE.)
The production of sweet clover seed
can be carried on in practically any
part of the United States. This is
evidenced by the abundant seed crops
which are to be observed along road
sides and embankments everywhere
the sweet clover plant is observed
to grow. Ordinarily the natural
patches Of sweet clover are so irregu-
lar in extent as to make it imprac-
teal to use the same methods in saw
ing seed as are used in saving seed
of alfalfa or red clover. However.
where the sweet clover is seeded as a
field crop it is a perfectly practical
procedure to cut the crop with a
mower, rake and bunch it, and hull
1t later in the season the same as is
done with red clover. The more com
mon method. however, is to knock the
seed on the plants with sticks or
fails in the hands of cheap labor. In
many sections the scattering growth
is cut and placed in small piles on
canvas and beaten out with sticks
about the size of a broom handle. This
seed remains in the hull and is quite
often seeded without running 1t
though a huller TO remove the hulls.
II may be said in favor of this method
that incubation seems to be more GER
tain and termination somewhat bet
ter than where the seed is hulled. 1t
win at once be seen that a start may
be made by almost anyone who lives
in q section where sweet clover oc-
ours even only along the roadsides,
since a goodly quantity of seed may
be gathered from such plants for
seeding a considerable area the fol-
lowing season. The seed skaters
very easily and while this is a real
advantage when it is being failed of
the plants yet considerable care must
be taken to avoid losing the larger
portion of the seed when the plants
are being gathered. 1t is, therefore,
best to gather them when they are
damp with dew or rain, but In this
condition they must not be placed in
too large piles or they will heat or
mold and in this way the seed is apt
to be spoiled. There are a number
of sweet clover fields in this country
that have been handled for seed just
as are fields Of red clover or alfalfa.
The largest yields Of seed ordinarily
come from stands which are not too
thick and which have not first been
cut for hay. However, satisfactory
seed crops can ordinarily be obtained
from fields which have been cut for
hay once in the North or twice for
hay in the southern states. This is
true where the rainfall is 80 inches
or more. II is necessary to cut the
stubble of the hay crops quite high,
say six inches, If possible, SO there
viii be ample room for the new
growth. TIE sweet clover plants do
not sprout out new shoots from the
crowns as does alfalfa, but it becomes
neces sary for the small stems near
the lotion of the plant to increase
In size to form the succeeding crop.
1t is important to remember that the
stems after the seed have been re-
moved constitute a valuable fertilizer
for improving land. This straw should
preferably be applied to any gullies
which may exist in the field to stop
washing The cattle will pick over the
straw to some extent in the winter,
after which tn rejected portions may
be used as bedding and ultimately re-
turned to the land with the manure.
The yield of sweet clover seed varies
with the thickness and regularity of
the stand, and in some places where
the stand is very scattering so that
the, plants have been gathered and
assembled by hand, the yield may not
run over a bushel or two of seed per
acre When, however, there is a good
even stand the yield will sometimes
run as high as ten or eleven bushels
of clean hulled seed per acre. Such
a yield as this at the present prices
for the seed would make it a very
profitable undertaking for almost any
farmer to let a field of the sweet
clover stand for seed. The price one
can secure for this seed ranges from
10 to 20 cents per pound, or Sc to s12
per bushel.
The value of sweet clover Is thus
seen to be at least threefold. 1t is
good Tor pasture, Tor nay ana the last
cutting before the plant dies can be
held for seed. Even when only stub
BILE is left on the land to pillow under
there is a marked improvement In
the fertility OF the soil This improve
ment is enhanced, however, by spread
ing the straw or manure from the
sweet clover back upon the land and
blowing it under.
One need not fear that by utilizing
sweet clover for seed producing pur-
poses t. It 1t will be apt to get away
from under control although the fear
is sometimes expressed that the sweet
clover would escape and prove a trou-
blesome weed If seeded on the farm
In one of the ordinary rotations. In
this connection 1t may be stated that
IN sections where sweet clover has