| XXX | (64) | XXX |
64 A G R I C I L T . U R E. land, diuing'.iiihed by the colour of their flowers, viz. the farmers in Scotland, who fow clover with oats or the red, the v/hite, and the yellow. The red is the barley, find, that from xo to 16 lb. of red, oi from largeft plant, has the ftrongeft {talk, and broaddl leaves. 12 to x8 lb. of white clover on the acre, produces a veThe yellow fometimes grows tall, but the ftalk is fmall; ry good crop. The white is the fmalleh plant,, and is fometimes called Clover, like rye-grafs, is fometimes fown for hay, lop-clover,- from the refemblance its flowers bears tb thofe fometimes for pafture, and fometimes for both. The red of the hop. clover is the moft proper for hay, the white for pafture ; Both the feafons and methods of flowing clover are and, when both are intended, a mixture of the two anvarious. * Moft of the Engiifh writers recommend the fwers beft. When red clover is fown without being autumn. It has frequently been tried, at this fleafon, in mixed with any other kind, the" farmer ought to bring Scotland without fuccefs. When flown in fpring, it an- his land into tillage again in two or three years: For, afi-vers much better in this country. ter the fecond year, a crop of this kind of clover is of The common way of Towing clover, both in Scotland little value. and England, is* along with wheat, oats, or barley, in When white clover is fown by itfelf, the farmer muft: the fpring. This method is fometimes attended with not expedt a crop of hay ; for it foldom rifos to fuch a di fadvantages. The clover fometimes hurts the corn, height as to produce a good crop: But, to balance this, and the corn the clover. However, thefe difadvantages the field may be kept long in pafture, as this clover conare probably more than over-balanced by the corn’s pro- tinues till wore out by the natural grafs of the foil. tcriing the clover from drought when very young, which When a mixture of the two are fown, feme crops of it is much expofed to, efpecially when fown in the fpring. hay may be taken, and then the land may be allowed to As the lodging of corn deflrtys all plants that are be- lie fome years longer for pafture. The red clover aflow; to prevent this, the corn fown along with clover fords the crops of hay ; and the white remains till the ought to be fown thin, and the la'nd made very clean of natural grafs rifes. In this cafe, there is commonly weeds. • «; fown upon the acre, from 8 to 12 lb. of red clover, Sometimes, in a wet fe;>fon, the clover gets a-top of and from 6 to 8 of white. But thefe proportions may the corn, and deflroys the crop. This feldom happens be varied according to the judgment of the farmer. when it is fown with barley or wheat; becaufe it is much In Scotland, feldom more than one crop of hay in the later in the feafon when fown with barley than when feafon fucceeds. The fecond crop is commonly fo late, fown with oats, and therefore is not fo far advanced at that it is very difficult to get-the hay properly made. It harvefl:; and the wheat is advanced fo far before the clo- may therefore be paftured on, or cut green for cattle. ver-feed is fown, that the clover can never get the better When clover is cut green for cattle, it is a proper way of it. To prevent, the clover, then, from hurting the corn, to feed them upon a field that needs dung. This meit may be town early in the feafon with wheat, or late in thod is preferable to feeding them in ftalls ; it faves the the feafon with barley. The Thanet barley, from the expence of carrying out the dung, and procures to the flxength of its roots and ftalk, is not fo apt to lodge as land the benefit of the urine, which is a very rich mathe common barley; and, of courfe, it is the moft pro- nure. coxicluding this article, it muft be obferved, per kind to be Town along with clover. But, as all thatBefore clover, while green, is dangerous to blade catkinds of barley are more apt to lodge than oats, and as tle andredflneep, when firft given them, efpecially if wet the feafon for flowing oats is more proper for fowing clo- with or rain. They ought therefore to be allowed ver than the Teafon of fowing barley, the farmer, when it onlydewfparingly at firft, and brought to it by degrees/ it is equally convenient Tor him, fliould prefer the fow- After being accuftomed to it for a few days, the danger ing of clover with oats.^ and they may be allowed to ufe as much of it When clover is fown with barley or oats, after thefe isas over, grains are fown, and the land harrowed, the clover-feed they pleafe. is thin fown, and then the land is again harrowed or rolled. When the clover is Town with a crop of wheat, Of the Culture of Clover mixed with Rye-grafs, the clover is Town in the fpring, and afterwards the Red clover makes the beft green forage Tor cattle. wheat is rolled. It is common to Tow clover-feed without any preparation given to tbe land; but it is better An acre of it will maintain more cattle than three or to harrow it before fowing. The harrowing does no four acres of common grafs: But then it is not fo proper harm to the wheat, and it makes the roller cover the feed for hay. Clover-hay is very troublefome in making, and reckoned fo good for feeding as fome other kinds more effe&ually. Clover-feed may be fown in the fame isofnot the land, by encouraging the manner amongft oats or early-fown barley. Some- time hay. It likewife hurts
after the corn has come up, the land may be harrowed, grov/th of quickening grafs. To remedy thefe difadvantages, it is common to fow rye-grafs along with it. Cloand the clover fown. If the weather be dry, the dif- ver, when mixed with rye-grafs, is eafier made into ferent parts of the operation fliould fucceed one another as quickly as poffible. The harrows Ihould be imme- hay; the hay itfelf is much better; and the rye-grafs, covering the furface, prevents the growth of the diately followed by the fower, and the fower by the by roller, to prevent the drought from penetrating too deep. quickening-grafs. The quantity fown upon the acre in The Englifli writers differ widely as to the quantity this way is from 8 to 12 lb. of clover, and from 1 to 3 rr c-f clover-feed proper to be fown on an acre. However, firlots of rye-grafs.
