The only varieties successfully cultivated in this country, are the red
and the white. Red clovers are divided into large, medium, and small.
The white is all alike. The long-rooted clover of Hungary is an
excellent productive variety, enduring successfully almost any degree of
drought. But in all the colder parts of this country it winter-kills so
badly as to render it unprofitable. Clover makes good pastures, being
nutritious, and early and rapid growing. Red-clover makes fair hay,
though inferior to timothy or red-top. White clover is unsuitable for
hay; it shrinks so much in drying, that it is very unproductive. It is
the best of all grasses for sheep pasture, and its blossoms afford in
abundance the best of honey. Red clover plowed in, even when full-grown,
is an excellent fertilizer. It begins to be regarded, in western New
York, as productive of the weevil, so destructive to wheat. Further
observation is necessary to settle this question.
Red-clover hay is too dusty for horses, and too wasteful for cattle. The
stalks are so large a proportion, and so slightly nutritious, that it is
unprofitable even as cut-feed. It is best to cultivate clover mainly for
pastures and as a fertilizer. Sowing clover and timothy together for hay
is much practised. The first year it will be nearly all clover, and the
second year mostly timothy. But sown together, they are not good for
hay, because they do not mature within ten or fifteen days of the same
time. But, for those who are determined to make hay out of red clover,
the following directions for curing may be valuable: mow when dry,
spread at once, and let it wilt thoroughly; then put up into small
cocks, not rolled, but one fork full _laid_ upon another until high
enough;--it will then shed water; but when rolled up, water will run
down through. Let it stand till thoroughly dried, and then draw into the
barn; it will be bright and sweet. Another method is to cut when free
from dew or rain, spread even, and allow it to wilt, and the leaves and
smaller parts to dry; then draw into the barn, putting alternate loads
of clover and dry straw into the mow, salting the clover very lightly.
The clover is sometimes put in when quite green, and salted sufficiently
to preserve it. It is injurious to cattle, by compelling them to eat
more salt than they need. Cattle will eat but little salt in winter,
when it stands within their reach; too much salt in hay compels them to
eat more, which engenders disease. Clover cured as above makes the best
possible clover-hay, if great care be used to prevent excessive salting.
Saving clover-seed is a matter of considerable importance. The large red
clover is too late a variety to produce seed on a second crop the same
season, as do the medium and small. The first growth must be allowed to
ripen. Cut when the heads are generally dead, but before it has begun to
shell. The medium and small red clovers will produce a good crop of seed
from second growth, if it be not too dry, immediately after mowing. Cut
when the heads generally are dry, rake into small winrows at once, and
soon put it in small bunches and let it stand until very dry, and then
draw in. Raking and stirring after it becomes dry will waste one half of
it.