Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-06-16

IFINI I.N.TW| ~ tAfI y 4,lf 7NIHt lTfS WI+Y ~ ltFyEF
Gives Advice On Handling;
and and Cutting o 81.
Crop.

Sl.J d..3 Haney. agricultural expert for
the International Harvester company
today issued this statsmsak,8 Ia res
Spouse toS many inquiries witch he
has received concerning sweet clover:
a great many farmers are growing
sweet clover for the FIRST time, and are
asking for informationSS as to clipping
II, making hay, stlage, plowinx under.
etc. 40 $50
The heaviest seed crop Is secured
by clipping--cuttins on sixssto twelvc
inches OF the top OF the plants, when
they are from q foot to eighteen
inches high. This can be done by
raising the sickle bar Of 4 smower 81
putting extensions, on h eSshoes, or BY
using an old harvester with the bot
tom knocked out of the platform.
This clipping Is hardly worth raking
up for hay. We leave 1t on the
ground. us
{; cut High.
Sweet clover may be killed but cut
ting too low. It muse be cut above
q branch with live buds, or no more
growth- will be nude. How high it
should beEscut depends somewhat on
1.-THE growth and thickness OF fthe
stand. When very thtcksa tall spind.
ling growth results and the plants
mus. be cut high or they Will be kill
Led. "A thin seeding can be cut much
lower, but cut above live buds.
For Hay.
For hay, sweet clover should be cut
before II. gets too stemmy. VERY
thick seeding makes the best hays Cut
and let wilt and rake into light wind.
rows. and put in: small narrow cocks
II the ground is wet, leave in the
window and turn over carefully SO al
to. cure. The leaves shatter yer,
easily when dry. and IL not handled
when the dew is on. much OF. thu
feeding value is lost. Sweet Glove,
had best be stacked outside, on s
stack bottom OF. poles, brush or$straw
Heating in the stack does not damag,
it to any extent for cattle. and il 1
little .stemmy. we prefer to stacl
damp so that It will heat and softer
the woody part of the stems.
When h first growth gets large i
may be cut with a binder and, sioled
or shocked loose and cured II tn
Neather is dry. When cut too late
the seed crop is liable to be caught b,
ffost. We do not consider 1t advis
able to try to get ,silage and -see1
crop, but two hAyscrops&m may be cp1
The first shouldSRsb cut before al;
Il bloom appears, and the second whe,
coming into bloom.
Ess ,s h 3ss.Ysss II - silaee. .3sss.s
for sltl y VI Woafi6 not ciip 3 =
q hay crop. but let thd crop gro,
until In full bloom, and somesseed wa
beginning to form. Then cut with,
harvester or corn binder and sill
while green. With stock available, t
utilize the sflage, we are certain thi
is one Of the most profitable ways {
utilizing the crop.
P1ow Under.
Where there. 1s COW thistle. an
Quack grass In the fields we woul
NOV or plow under before the.
weeds seeded. The crop will rot be
ter in the soil when plowed unde
green. or about the time it begins /,
bloom. We would use q Campbell {
frog foot packer Immediately aft,
blowing.
The exact dates for these oper,
tons will vary with different soils an
seasons. Clip June IL to Is; first ha
crop June IS to 20; first$crops for 81
age June 20 to 25. Cut second cro
for hay or pillow under Il caught I
frost before seed ripens. Second hs
icrop should be cut when coming In
full bloom. For sileage. when Il
crop hasSSnot been clipped or cut I,
I hay, cut about August first. For see
!, harvest when first half Of seed b,
turned brown. vi
/. We have grown sweet clover nil
years and. do not know all about
yet. Watch your sweet ~cloverSclos,
". and report your experience q
Handling It.. n