Uses and Feeding Clovers are grown for hay, pasture, soiling, silage, green manuring, cover-crops and soil improvement. Clovers or some other legume should have a place in every rotation, because of their deep, fleshy root system and capacity for appropri ating free nitrogen from the air in the soil by means of bacteria on their roots. Their deep roots penetrate the sub-soil and transfer valu able plant food to the surface soil, which is liberated when they decay. It has long been known that the growing of legumes improved the soil; Pliny recommended that such crops be grown previous to grain crops. The wisdom of this is now supported by recent research. In 1888 it was announced that the nodules on the roots of leguminous plants were colonies of bacteria, and that their work was to take up nitrogen from the soil-air for the benefit of their host; hence we have the fact that a large quantity of nitrogen may be removed from the soil for a series of years in the form of clover-hay or alfalfa hay —yet the surface soil be richer in nitrogen at the end of the period than it was at the beginning. Plowing a crop of clover under as green-manure is a very effective way of enriching the soil in humus. This is now practised in orchards to a consid erable extent; the tillage they receive and the crops removed rapidly deplete the fertility of the land, hence the introduction of the practice of seeding down the orchards during the sum mer with some legume, as crimson clover, cow peas, soy-beans, etc., to add humus, protect the land from washing during the fall and winter and in wet seasons, by using up the moisture, to aid in maturing the buds of the trees and enable them to stand the winter; the crop being plowed under the following spring when culti vation begins.
The average percentage composition of clover is given as — At the Wisconsin station, clover cut three times in one year yielded 25 tons of green forage per acre; this may be regarded as a maximum yield. The first cutting, made 29 May, contained only 8.2 per cent of dry matter and was on this account unsatisfactory as a soiling crop, although, generally speaking, this crop is a most valuable one for this purpose, being relished by all stock. The total dry mat ter contained in the three crops was nearly four tons per acre.
If given in excess while green, or grazed, it is liable to cause bloat. To prevent this, give dry fodder in addition, and do not turn the animals out when they are very hungry or the dew is on. Clover pasture is excellent for growing pigs, and they may be fattened on it.
Experience has shown that the best time to cut clover for hay is when one-third of the heads are turning brown. As ordinarily cured it is liable to be dusty, hence it is not consid ered a satisfactory feed for horses. For grow ing and idle horses, bright, clean clover hay is both economical and valuable. Hay from over ripe crimson clover is dangerous for horses ; the bristly hairs, accumulating in the intestines, form balls, causing stoppages and death. Clover hay is a most valuable forage for cattle, espe cially much cows ; 10 to 12 pounds may be fed daily, its high nitrogen content permitting a reduction of the amount of concentrated feed.
It is one of the best coarse fodders for sheep, and when chaffed fine is used for feeding lay ing hens in winter.
Clover The common diseases are: Clover rust (Uromyces trifolii), which appears in various stages on the leaves, leaf stalks and stems of the plant, particularly of white clover. White minute cups appear in spnng or early summer, accompanied or fol lowed by small brown spores, which are finally followed by darker spores which live through the winter and germinate the following spring.
Clover rot (Sclerotinut trifoliorum) attacks many legumes. The disease causes a browning of the stem and leaves, which are soon spotted with a white mold, which ultimately forms solid, wavy, black bodies often half an inch long. These produce mushroom-like bodies the following spring. Burning over the infested field and a proper rotation of crops are advo cated for both diseases.
A leaf-spot (Pseudopeziza trifolii) is often destructive, especially during a wet fall. •The leaves are covered with small black spots. Dodder (q.v.) is a parasitic plant responsible for considerable loss in some places.
Clover Insects.--Of the various insects which injure clover the following are prom inent: The clover-root borer (Hylastes tri folii), which has in some sections killed out the clover the second year, thus necessitating a change in the rotation of the crops. The clover-stem borer (Languria mostardi) is widely distributed. The clover-leaf beetle (Phytono MI44 punctatus) is a weevil which feeds at night, consuming all parts of the plant. The clover-leaf midge (Cecidomyia leguminicola) is one of the worst pests; the eggs are laid in the blossoms, where the larvz feed on what should be the seed. They pupate in the ground or in the seed. There are two or three broods annually. Various insects attack the stored hay, the most common being the clover-hay worm (Asopia costalis).
See WiErvn.; CLOVER bisects.