,transcriber ,note ,text emphasis denoted by ,italics and ,bold4 ,issued ,july #i1 #aiac4 ,u4 ,s4 ,,department ,,of ,,agriculture4 ,farmers' ,bulletin #eej ,,crimson ,,clover3 ,,growing ,,the ,,crop4 ,,by ,j4 ,m4 ,,westgate ,agronomist in ,charge of ,clover ,investigations4 ,office of ,forage-,crop ,investigations1 ,bureau of ,plant ,industry4 ,,washington3 ,,government ,,printing ,,office1 #aiac4 ,,letter ,,of ,,transmittal4 ,u4 ,s4 ,department of ,agriculture1 ,bureau or ,plant ,industry1 ,office or the ,chief1 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c41 ,june #ab1 #aiae4 ,sir3 ,i have the honor to transmit herewith and to recommend for publication as a ,farmers' ,bulletin the accompanying manuscript entitled ,crimson ,clover3 ,growing the ,crop4 ,this has been prepared by ,mr4 ,j4 ,m4 ,westgate1 ,agronomist in ,charge of ,clover ,investigations1 and has been submitted by ,prof4 ,c4 ,v4 ,piper1 ,agrostologist in ,charge of ,forage-,crop ,investigations1 with a view to publication4 ,it is expected that this bulletin will be followed soon by other bulletins1 each treating of some particular phase of this important crop4 ,respectfully1 ,wm4 ,a4 ,taylor1 ,chief of ,bureau4 ,hon4 ,d4 ,f4 ,houston1 ,secretary of ,agriculture4 ,,contents4 ,page4 ,introduction #c ,history and present distribution of crimson clover #c ,requirements for obtaining and maintaining a stand of crimson clover #e ,preparation of the ,seed bed #f ,fertilizers for crimson clover #f ,liming soils for crimson clover #g ,inoculation for crimson clover #h ,seeding crimson clover #h ,various methods of seeding crimson clover #i ,seeding crimson clover in intertilled crops #aj ,seeding crimson clover after early-maturing crops #ab ,seeding crimson clover with late summer-seeded annual crops #ac ,crimson clover in mixtures with other legumes and grain #ac ,seeding crimson clover alone #ae ,treatment of crimson clover stands after seeding #ae ,,illustrations4 ,page4 ,fig4 #a4 ,a single plant of crimson clover4 #d #b4 ,a crimson-clover failure on ground too poor in humus #e #c4 ,seeding crimson clover in corn at the last cultivation #aj #d4 ,crimson clover in an old cornfield #aa #e4 ,crimson clover and wheat in mixture #ad ,,crimson ,,clover3 ,,growing ,,the ,,crop4 ,,introduction4 ,probably the most important characteristic of crimson clover is its ability to grow and make its crop during the season when the land is not occupied by the ordinary summer-growth crops4 ,in sections where it succeeds1 crimson clover can be sown following a grain crop or in an intertilled crop in late summer and will mature a hay crop the following spring in time to plow the land for spring-seeded crops1 such as corn or cotton4 ,it may even be held for seed as far north as central ,delaware and the stubble be plowed under in time for seeding the quick-maturing strains of corn4 ,it may be turned under for soil improvement when only #f inches high if it ,is desired to fit the land for early spring-seeded crops ,even if only the stubble be turned under1 the effect upon the succeeding crop will be marked1 especially if the soil be deficient in nitrogenous fertilizers4 ,the plowing under of the entire plant1 however1 will more rapidly correct any deficiency of nitrates or humus in the soil4 ,it is one of the best cover crops for use in orchards and1 in fact1 under any conditions where the soil is likely to wash during the winter months4 ,the many uses to which this crop may be put merit a careful study of the best methods of establishing ii stand of crimson clover upon a farm4 ,,history ,,and ,,present ,,distribution ,,of ,,crimson ,,clover4 ,crimson clover 7fig4 #a7 is frequently called ,scarlet clover and1 somewhat loss commonly1 ,german clover1 ,italian clover1 ,french clover1 ,incarnate clover1 ,annual clover1 etc4 ,it occurs wild in ,england and in eastern and southern ,europe and is grown as a forage and soil-improving crop in ,italy1 ,france1 ,germany1 ,austria1 and ,great ,britain4 ,it was introduced into this country as early as #ahbb1 but was grown only to a very limited extent until about #ahhj4 ,it has proved especially adapted to the lighter1 sandy soils of the eastern part of the ,united ,states where the winters are not too severe4 ,in the ,middle ,atlantic ,states it is also grown to a considerable extent on the clay soils of the ,piedmont section4 ,in ,michigan it is sometimes used on the sandy soils as a cover crop in peach orchards1 although it frequently winterkills4 ,it can not ordinarily survive the severe winters of the ,northern ,states4#a #a ,in such northern sections where a fall-seeded legume is desired it is suggested that hairy vetch seeded with rye be used instead4 ,see ,farmers' ,bulletin #eae1 entitled ,vetches4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a4--;,a single plant of crimson clover4 ,crimson clover is a winter annual1 that is1 it ordinarily makes its early growth in the autumn1 passes the winter in a somewhat dormant but green state1 makes a very early spring growth1 and matures its seed and dies before summer4 ,it makes little or no growth in very hot weather and therefore should not be sown in the spring1 except in the extreme ,north1 where it may make a satisfactory growth by autumn1 so that hay crop may be taken from it at that time4 ,,requirements ,,for ,,obtaining ,,and ,,maintaining ,a ,,stand ,,of ,,crimson ,,clover4 ,unless the conditions of soil and moisture are exactly right it is not an easy matter to establish a satisfactory stand of crimson clover1 even in the sections where it is most extensively produced4 7,fig4 #b47 ,the lack of timely rains in late summer is responsible for most of the failures to obtain a satisfactory stand4 ,the young seedlings are very easily killed by the hot sun or lack of moisture4 ,on the other hand1 if the seeding be delayed too long1 as1 for instance1 in waiting for the proper conditions of soil moisture1 the plants will be unable to make sufficient growth to withstand the winter4 ,briefly speaking1 crimson clover should be seeded shallow on a moist1 reasonably fertile1 well-drained1 well-settled seed bed4 ,inoculation in some form should be provided1 especially when seeding it for the first time on any fields in sections comparatively new to this crop4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #b4--;,a crimson-clover failure on ground too poor in humus4 ,crimson clover is not adapted to the white-clay lands in their present condition in some portions of the ,atlantic ,coastal ,plain4 ,such fields should be seeded to soy beans or cowpeas when a leguminous crop is desired for soil improvement or other purposes4#b ,crimson clover does not do well on rough1 newly cleared land and it ordinarily requires the production of two or three crops or a special preparation by liming1 manuring1 and inoculating before such land presents conditions satisfactory for seeding4 ,it is usually better to sow rye for a winter cover and cowpeas for a summer crop if a cover crop is thought to be needed4 ,in any section where crimson clover has not been previously grown the first seeding should be on a small scale to determine whether or not it is a practicable crop for the locality in question4 #b ,these white-clay soils are nearly always sour1 deficient ,in humus1 and poorly drained4 ,if limed1 subsoiled1 drained1 and supplied with humus1 such soils are said to grow crimson clover satisfactorily4 ,,preparation ,,of ,,the ,,seed ,,bed4 ,the seed bed for crimson clover should be firm1 moist1 well settled1 and fine on top4 ,any efforts that may be expended to conserve the soil moisture previous to seeding are usually justified1 especially if there be any lack of rainfall during the month previous or the month following seeding4 ,where the clover is seeded in an intertilled crop1 such as corn1 cotton1 or tomatoes1 the customary cultivation received by these crops is ordinarily sufficient for the needs of crimson clover4 ,where grain-stubble land is plowed in preparation for the clover a month or six weeks are ordinarily required for the soil to settle sufficiently to make a proper seed bed1 since after plowing at least one soaking rain1 which compacts the soil and fills it with moisture1 is essential to the proper preparation of the seed bed for crimson clover4 ,if the ground be disked1 a much shorter time and less rain are required for the proper settling of the seed bed4 ,the best method of retaining the moisture in the seed bed is to harrow or give shallow cultivation shortly after each rain4 ,a fine soil mulch on the surface will largely prevent the soil just beneath the surface from losing its moisture through evaporation4 ,such surface tillage should1 of course1 be given before seeding the crimson clover4 ,,fertilizers ,,for ,,crimson ,,clover4 ,under the ordinary conditions of soil fertility the fertilizer applied to the preceding crop is sufficient for the needs of crimson clover4 ,this is especially true where the clover follows such crops as potatoes or tomatoes1 which are ordinarily heavily treated with fertilizers that are not entirely used up by these crops4 ,it is important to realize1 however1 that crimson clover has a very short period of growth and that to make a vigorous growth it must have a good supply of plant food4 ,on sandy soils where there has been no recent application of fertilizers it is often the practice to apply from #bjj to #djj pounds of a mixture of equal parts of acid phosphate and kainite4 ,on clay soils #cjj or #djj pounds per acre of acid phosphate are ordinarily sufficient4 ,if the soil be low in nitrates a light application of nitrate of soda will assist materially in giving the young clover plants a good start and winter which otherwise might have proved fatal to the stand4 ,if the seeding has been delayed1 as by waiting for suitable rains1 an application of nitrate fertilizer will stimulate the young plants and enable them to make an increased growth before winter4 ,any direct application of fertilizer is usually made at seeding time1 but some few farmers have been found who apply it as a top dressing very early the following spring1 giving as a reason that there is no loss from winter leaching and that the plants are by this method nourished at the time they are making their most vigorous growth4 ,such top dressings of fertilizer should not be made while the leaves are wet with rain or dew4 ,where stable manure is applied to crimson clover very marked results follow4 ,it may be spread just before seeding1 when the clover is not grown in an intertilled crop1 or it may be applied as a top dressing in winter or very early spring4 ,the more vigorous the growth that can be induced by the application of suitable fertilizers the more marked will be the increase in the yield of the succeeding crops4 ,on soil not well supplied with humus or plant food the use of a reasonable amount of fertilizer will often enable a successful crop of clover and succeeding crops to be produced where1 had not the fertilizers been applied1 the clover would have failed4 ,furthermore1 the following crop1 particularly if it be corn1 would also fail to give the increased yield which follows a successful stand of crimson clover4 ,an application of barnyard manure will be found to be especially effective in obtaining a stand of crimson clover on any thin1 galled spots in the field4 ,the manure should be worked into the ground and1 if possible1 a second application as a top dressing should be given such thin places to partially shade the ground from the ,august sun while the seedlings are establishing themselves4 ,,liming ,,soils ,,for ,,crimson ,,clover4 ,most of the soils in the crimson-clover sections will be found to be benefited by liming4 ,crimson clover1 however1 does not appear to require lime to the extent that red clover does4 ,frequently on well-drained soils in a good state of fertility the crimson clover makes a vigorous growth without the use of lime4 ,the stands are1 however1 usually more uniformly good over the limed parts of such fields than on the parts that have received no line4 ,the opinion among individual farmers appears to be about equally divided as to whether or not it pays them to lime their soils for crimson clover4 ,in considering the advisability of applying lime one must not lose sight of the need of lime on the part of such other crops as cantaloupes or peaches1 which require lime and which are either grown with the clover or follow it4 ,inasmuch as the extent of the benefit is somewhat uncertain it is suggested that the particular requirements of the farm in question be determined by liming small plats at different rates before any considerable areas are limed4 ,the most profitable rate of application can then be adopted for the whole acreage4 ,,inoculation ,,for ,,crimson ,,clover4 ,fortunately most of the soils in the crimson-clover sections appear to be already inoculated4 ,this is especially true in sandy soil areas where crimson clover has been grown for a number of seasons4 ,in sections new to this crop inoculation in some form is usually necessary4 ,on clay soils inoculation is not always present1 even though crimson clover may have been grown1 for a number of successive seasons on other fields of the farm4 ,an experiment conducted by the ,alabama ,state ,agricultural ,experiment ,station shows how essential inoculation is on soils which have not previously grown crimson clover4 ,in this experiment a yield of #d1jeg pounds of crimson clover hay was secured where the plants were inoculated1 as compared with only #gfa pounds where no inoculation was provided4 ,in another test by the same station the inoculated plat of crimson clover yielded at the rate of #f1ajj pounds of cured hay per acre1 while the uninoculated plat was a total failure4 ,inoculation by the use of soil from a crimson-clover field is considerably more certain than is inoculation by the use of pure cultures1 but soil inoculation is open to the danger of introducing noxious weeds1 insects1 and plant diseases1 especially if the soil is brought from a distance4 ,there is much less danger in this respect if soil from inoculated plants can be obtained in the same neighborhood4 ,one very practicable method is to apply a bottle of pure culture#c to a pound or two of the seed and sow this in the corner of some field1 or even in the garden4 ,the resulting plants will be quite sure to be inoculated and will furnish an abundant supply of soil for inoculating much larger areas at the next seeding4 ,care must be taken not to allow the sun to shine upon either the pure cultures or the soil1 or even on the seed after it is broadcasted4 ,for this reason it is safest to seed on a cloudy day or after sundown4 ,one very satisfactory method of soil inoculation consists merely in mixing together equal parts of the proper soil and seed and sowing immediately in front of the covering harrow4 #c ,pure cultures are sent free by the ,u4 ,s4 ,department of ,agriculture4 ,full instructions for using them accompany each bottle4 ,,seeding ,,crimson ,,clover4 ,crimson clover may be sown broadcast1 by hand1 with a wheel-barrow sheep-trough seeder1 or with any of the familiar types of rotary seeders4 ,it is sometimes drilled in and there are a number of specially constructed drills designed for this purpose4 ,the consensus of opinion among farmers is that shallow seeding is generally best1 especially upon the clay soils4 ,an inch in sandy soils and half an inch in clay soils appears to be about the right depth except in times of drought4 ,the ordinary rate of seeding is #ae pounds per acre1 although some use #bj pounds1 while others are able to obtain satisfactory stands with only #ab pounds per acre4 ,one pound of seed per acre provides for three seeds for every square foot2 hence1 if every seed produced a plant1 #b pounds per acre would be theoretically sufficient to secure a satisfactory stand4 ,under ordinary circumstances1 however1 it is necessary to allow for some of the seed being covered too deep1 while a considerable proportion may prove to be covered too shallow for successful growth4 ,the principal justification of seeding such a quantity and at varying depths lies in the fact that in case a dry season develops after seeding the more deeply covered seeds will be able to withstand the drought better than those covered to a medium depth4 ,if an unusually wet season develops1 the shallow-planted seeds will give the best results4 ,moreover1 some of the seed will fail to germinate4 ,it is also well to have a fairly thick stand of the young plants1 so that the ground may be well covered even during early fall1 and thus prevent the winter-growing weeds from establishing themselves4 ,it is held by many farmers that they are more certain of getting a stand of crimson clover if they sow the seed in the hull rather than use the hulled seed as it ordinarily appears on the market4 ,it is claimed that the hulls hold the moisture to some extent4 ,seed in the hull can easily be obtained by flailing out a load of crimson clover which has been left uncut in the field until the seed is mature4 ,many farmers run the clover through an ordinary grain thrasher1 which delivers the seed in the hull4 ,,various ,,methods ,,of ,,seeding ,,crimson ,,clover4 ,crimson clover may be seeded in late summer in any of the ordinary intertilled crops4 ,it may be seeded alone following any farm crop which can be removed from the land by early summer1 so that the seed can be sown in late summer or very early fall4 ,it may also be seeded for hay in mixture with grain1 such as wheat1 rye1 barley1 or winter oats1 which are ready to cut for hay at about the same time as the clover the following spring4 ,a very light seeding of an animal catch crop1 such as buckwheat1 may be made with crimson clover in time for the catch crop to make its growth before winter4 ,,seeding ,,crimson ,,clover ,,in ,,intertilled ,,crops4 ,although crimson clover may be seeded in almost any of the intertilled crops1 in this country probably half of it is sown in corn at or shortly after the time of the last cultivation4 7,fig4 #c47 ,it is usually possible to make such a seeding1 obtain a good growth during the fall and early spring1 and mature a crop of hay in time for breaking up the land for another crop of corn4 ,south of the latitude of central ,delaware it is even possible to mature a crop of clover seed in time for corn planting4 ,in this way it is possible to grow a crop of corn each year and at the same time steadily increase the fertility of the soil for a series of years4 ,treated in this manner each succeeding crop of corn can ordinarily be materially increased4 ,instances are reported where the yield of corn has been gradually increased by this means from #aj bushels per acre at the start until as high as #gj bushels per acre were secured4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #c4--,seeding crimson clover in corn at the last cultivation4 ,the newly seeded stands of clover in corn are likely to perish if drought occurs at or after seeding time4 ,tho growing corn makes heavy demands on the soil moisture1 and if there is not enough moisture for both clover and corn the latter gets the larger share and the tender clover plants are likely to succumb4 ,it sometimes happens that a very light rain shortly after seeding the clover will cause the seeds to germinate1 only to perish during the succeeding days of dry weather4 ,on account of the competition for moisture between the corn and clover it is best to cover the clover seed a little deeper than is necessary when it is sown on fallow land4 ,north1 of the ,potomac ,river the last cultivation of the corn comes at about the right time for the best results with clover seeded at the same time4 ,farther south1 however1 there is too much hot weather after the corn is laid by1 and as a consequence it is best to delay the seeding of the crimson clover until about #h or #aj weeks before the first frost may be expected4 ,a light furrow-toothed cultivator or harrow may be run shallow between the rows to cover the seed4 ,the seed may be sown broadcast by hand or even from horseback with a rotary seeder4 ,in such an event1 however1 it is necessary to cover the ears of the horse with small bags or socks to prevent the entrance of the flying seed4 ,a much more even stand is made possible if the corn is given level tillage rather than the ridged tillage incident to plowing with a #a-;horse corn plow and ridging the land4 ,the appearance of a field of crimson clover seeded the summer previous in corn is indicated in figure #d4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #d4--;,crimson clover in an old cornfield4 ,the clover was seeded in the corn at the last cultivation4 ,a fodder stack is to be observed in the middle foreground4 ,the cornstalks have been removed to avoid difficulty in mowing the clover4 ,in ,north ,carolina and southern ,virginia it has been found possible under favorable conditions to obtain a satisfactory stand of clover by seeding in cotton4 ,the clover should not be sown until #aj or #ab weeks before frost and the last working of the cotton comes ordinarily at an earlier date than this4 ,it is necessary that the cotton be given very clean culture1 as well as special attention paid to conserving the moisture in the prospective clover-seed bed4 ,unless the first show of cotton is picked early it is difficult to cover the clover seed without unduly injuring the opened cotton bolls4 ,in the higher and more northern parts of the cotton belt it is possible to make the clover seeding before the bolls begin to burst4 ,crimson clover may be seeded in practically any of the cultivated truck crops which receive their last cultivation from #h to #ab weeks before the first frost4 ,it is not practicable to seed the clover in late potatoes1 as the digging of the potatoes in the fall practically destroys the stand of clover4 ,the heavy application of fertilizers necessary for the truck crop makes possible a vigorous growth of the clover4 ,the result is that the soil is materially built up in both nitrogen and humus4 ,the clover makes its growth at a season of the year when the land is not ordinarily occupied by any of the regular truck crops4 ,when timely rains follow the seeding it is possible to seed the clover on the surface of the ground among cantaloupe vines and allow the first rain to cover the seed4 ,the shade is apparently too dense under watermelon vines for the clover seedlings to survive4 ,the writer has obtained a good stand by seeding the clover seed1 without covering1 in sweet potatoes the first week in ,august on sandy land near ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,by hand-digging the potatoes with a spade a fair stand of the clover plants was left unharmed4 ,,seeding ,,crimson ,,clover ,,after ,,early-,,maturing ,,crops4 ,it is possible to seed crimson clover after practically any of the ordinary farm crops which can be removed from the land three months before frost4 ,it is somewhat difficult to obtain anything like an ideal seed bed for crimson clover where a field of grain stubble has been plowed under4 ,the soil in a stubble field is apt to be dry and cloddy when plowed1 while the stubble tends to form a dry mat at the bottom of each furrow4 ,such a condition is likely to continue for a number of weeks after plowing and to result disastrously to the clover seedlings unless there be abundant and frequent rains4 ,it is ordinarily a better practice to disk the grain stubble and harrow every week1 or at least after every rain1 in order to settle the ground and assist in holding the moisture pending the time of seeding4 ,such frequent harrowings will also kill the successive crops of germinating weed seeds1 which might otherwise injure the young stand of clover4 ,on the other hand1 the ground from which early potatoes have been removed is very favorable for the establishment of a stand of crimson clover4 ,the residual effect of the fertilizers used on the potatoes is partially responsible for this1 while the well-settled seed bed1 which requires only leveling and harrowing1 also presents favorable conditions for the crimson-clover seedlings4 ,,seeding ,,crimson ,,clover ,,with ,,late ,,summer-,,seeded ,,annual ,,crops4 ,crimson clover may be seeded in midsummer or in late summer with a very light seeding of buckwheat4 ,the buckwheat soon forms an ideal shade for the young clover plants and unless frosts occur very early a crop of buckwheat may usually be harvested4 ,this method has been suggested as being applicable when seeding the clover in cotton4 ,if the buckwheat is not seeded until ,august it will not ordinarily produce seed in the latitude of ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,wherever possible1 the seeding of buckwheat and crimson clover should be made so early that there will be time for the buckwheat to mature its seed crop1 as in this way the buckwheat itself will pay for the expense of starting both stands4 ,a light seeding of the buckwheat must be made1 as an ordinary stand of buckwheat shades the ground so completely as to destroy the crimson clover4 ,another method of preventing the injurious effect of the hot sun of late summer is to make a light seeding of cowpeas at the same time that the crimson clover is seeded4 ,the cowpeas germinate promptly1 and being rather thin on the ground do not injure the stand of clover1 but on the contrary afford sufficient shade to prevent the soil from becoming as hot as it otherwise would4 ,in addition1 the clover plants receive some protection from the direct rays of the sun4 ,there is ordinarily not enough time for the cowpeas to mature1 so they are either mown for hay or left standing to catch the snow during the winter and protect the stand of clover4 ,in seedlings made by the writer half a bushel of cowpeas per acre1 broadcasted1 gave vary satisfactory results1 the seeding being made ,august #a on sandy ground near ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,the clover and cowpeas were sown broadcast on early-potato ground and covered from one-half to #a inch deep4 ,if a light seeding of turnips be made with the clover1 the turnip plants will afford some protection to the young clover plants and at the same time will ordinarily yield a fair crop of turnips4 ,about #a pound of turnip seed and #ae pounds of clover seed should be sown to the acre4 ,if the seeding of turnips be at all heavy the coarse-growing turnip plants will choke out too many of the clover plants4 ,the ,cow ,horn turnips appear to be especially adapted for seeding with crimson clover4 ,,crimson ,,clover ,,in ,,mixtures ,,with ,,other ,,legumes ,,and ,,grain4 ,when crimson clover is seeded alone on good soil it is likely to make so rank a growth as to lodge4 ,to overcome this difficulty it is a common practice to seed some small-grain crop with the clover at seeding time4 ,south of the ,potomac ,river winter oats are ordinarily very satisfactory1 especially when seeded with the late white-blooming strain of crimson clover4 ,in ,delaware and eastern ,maryland wheat is commonly used4 ,in addition to wheat and oats1 rye or barley is sometimes used4 ,the customary rate of seeding is about #ae pounds of clover seed and #cj pounds of grain per acre4 ,the accompanying illustration 7fig4 #e7 indicates the appearance of a field seeded to a mixture of crimson clover and wheat4 ,the grain prevents the clover from lodging1 facilitates the curing of the clover hay1 and1 in addition1 forms a valuable constituent of the resulting hay crop4 ,the yield of the mixture is ordinarily somewhat more than when the clover is seeded alone4 ,the ,alabama ,state ,agricultural ,experiment ,station secured as the average for two years' experiments the following yields of hay3 ,yield per acre4 ,crimson clover seeded alone #b1hcf pounds4 ,crimson clover seeded in mixtures3 ,barley and crimson clover #c1fie pounds4 ,wheat and crimson clover #c1gga pounds4 ,oats and crimson clover #d1bbh pounds4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #e4--;,crimson clover and wheat in mixture4 ,in the foreground the crop has been cut and fed green to stock4 ,the remainder was cut the next day for hay4 ,the grain prevents the crimson clover from lodging4 ,the grain is usually well headed but is in the milk or soft-dough stage when the clover is ready to cut4 ,the presence of the grain hay makes the clover hay more easily cured4 ,with winter oats it is usually best to seed the late white-blooming variety of crimson clover1 as the oat crop matures somewhat later than the ordinary crimson clover4 ,another advantage of this mixture is that if either should fail the other will be present to serve as a cover crop during winter and bring some return the following spring4 ,crimson clover may be seeded in mixtures with vetch1 shaftal clover1 trefoil1 or1 in fact1 any winter-growing legume which has a growing season similar to crimson clover4 ,since most of these legumes are not upright in their growth it is usually necessary to seed some grain crop with them to serve as a support and to prevent the plants from lodging4 ,the grain is ordinarily a surer crop than the legumes and practically insures the ground being covered with some crop during the winter and spring months4 ,,seeding ,,crimson ,,clover ,,alone4 ,if a good seed bed can be prepared by ,august #a in the latitude of ,washington1 ,d4 ,c41 crimson clover will ordinarily produce a satisfactory stand if seeded entirely alone4 ,this is especially true on the clay soils1 where it is often difficult to obtain a successful catch in corn at the last working4 ,the seed is sown at the same rate as when seeded in corn1 namely1 about #ae pounds per acre4 ,it is the common practice to broadcast the seed and to cover with a very light barrow or weeder4 ,unless the ,august sun be unduly hot and a drought develops1 such seeding will ordinarily produce very satisfactory results if the soil be reasonably fertile4 ,,treatment ,,of ,,crimson ,,clover ,,stands ,,after ,,seeding4 ,ordinarily no special treatment is required after seeding1 and before winter comes on some fall pasturage may be obtained if the growth be sufficiently rank4 ,a light pasturing with sheep has been noted to induce heavier stooling on the part of the crimson clover4 ,only a light pasturing with small animals1 such as sheep1 calves1 or chickens1 should be made in either the fall or spring before the early spring growth is well under way4 ,if the time of seeding has been delayed1 or if for any reason it is feared that the plants will be unable to make sufficient growth before cold weather1 it has been found that a top dressing of nitrate of soda alone or in mixture with muriato of potash will greatly hasten the fall growth4 ,this reduces the danger from winterkilling and heaving out in the early spring4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber ,note ,minor typos have been corrected4 ,illustrations were moved to prevent splitting paragraphs4 ,produced from files generously made available by ,,usda through ,the ,internet ,archive4 ,all resultant materials are placed in the ,public ,domain4