CLOVER SEED.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2019, 13 March 1890, Page 4

CLOVER SEED.

Growing our own clover aeod has beau a branch of agricultural industry entirely neglected by our (armors up to the present time, why it is difficult to conceive, no a more profitably crop, on any strong !>md, cannot be found to occupy a proportionate area of any systematically worked farm. It is true that cow-grass aud red clover could not be grown for seed till witbia the last few years, bat white Dutch, alßike, and trefoil, may have been sur.plied for all the colonial markets for the past twenty years if sufficient thrift and enterprise had stimalated oar farmers. The humble bee, now literally swarming through our gardens, orchards, and fields, has for the past two or three years done its work to perfection in fructifying every bead of our red c'over and cow-grass with the finest seed, simply to be wasted, while the richest golden egg whs caßt aside, as unworthy a place in the farmer's basket. After so long advocating this important addition to our farmers' annual incomes, it is gratifying to know that one of them, I hope more, has at last ventured on this new and long-neglected line, by which other have benefited by our earnings. He anticipates an exceptionally heavy return, and I need not say that I sincerely hope that be will have as fine weather to harvest it as Las been experienced with the corn crops, and if he does hia return per acre will doubtless stimulate many more to follow in hie track. I rfcfer to Mr Geo. Cliff, on the Winchester road from Temuka, who told mo last year he intended to sow clean red clover, or cow grass, for trial. He has secured a heavy first urop of splendid hay, and he tells ma hia aftermath crop could not be surpassed as a fruitful one for seed—a mass of b!ossom, without too great a length of stem. The threshing and milling of it is the next consideration after the safe stacking has been accomplished, but it is far better to bo thatched and left in stack till the end of winter when it will be threshed and dressed to' the greatest advantage, showing a superior folor and sample of seed. While advocating this most important additioo to the cutput of our farmers, I w:is not blind to the necessity of ihe inlroduc;ion < f one or more clover mills and dressing apparatus for a district l>ke thie, or the starters of the industry would bo mill at a loss to market their seed. L conversed with the ownoiM of threshing machinps as to the advisability of their adding the necessary machinery to their plaut,"but I hive heard of none who did so, although it would be but a tr'fl-ng addition. 1 corresponded with makers, and finely obtained valuable information from the og-mt of Messrs Marshall and Sons, who appointed me local agant to take anv oilers for that firm, whose well-known engines and combines have been heavy piizts takers throughout the world. For the information of farmers and machine owners genarally I cannot do better than quoto instructions given for the fixing and management of their improved clover apparatus to their threshing machines. " This apparatus is for application to our threshing machines for shelling or rubbing out of the heads after they have been threshed from the straw. It j 3 q„[ te equal to auy special clover drawer for the purpose, and it can bs attached to the machine by Ihe attendants during the time Bt«am is being raised in the engine. The cost is but slight, and the apparatus >'s readily packed in the machine for travelling. It is thus found a valuable adjunct to our threshing machines for clover shelling. lh consists of two wrought iron convex plates fixed to the machine at front side of the threshiug drum, and back or underneath side of the concave or drum breastwork ; also a wood cover over the mouth of the threshing drum. Two riddles, having 3-32 inch holes, are likewise iucloded. One of these is a substitute for the ordinary caving riddle, and the other fits in a small shoe at baok end of machine. We recommend also a special caving riddle for the main "shoe of the machine, as a superior sample can by its employment be obtained. This, however, is not an imperative necessity, and we leave it to the option »f our customers to have it, included in the apparatus or not. For fixing the apparatus to our machines the feed board and bevil board at mouth of drum must ba removed the stronger of the two convex plattaof the apparatus affixed to the machine in front of the drum, and secured by bolts passing through the machine sides and > the angle irons at each end, and to the underside ot face board in the centre, also at the bottom eida of the pla'e attached fo concave. The other or lighter convex plate is applied to the under or outside of the concave or drum breastwork, at top and bottom, by bolts and nuts. The wood cover is then placed over the mouth of the drum, and bolted to facts board, and cross rail, and machine. The special coping riddle, and riddle for (.mail shoe each with 3-32 inch holes, must be used' and also the caving tiddle for main shoe' when this latter is supplied. For manag' ing the machine in work, after the apparatus has been properly fixed, it will be necessary to reduce the blast from the main blower—by closing the slides over the opening at each end—and so regulate it that no clover seed is blown away with the chaff. After the seed is elevated ifc must bo passed along the back end of the machine through the creepor on to the special riddle in small shoe, where it also comes in contact with the second blast which most be regulated by the quadrant a'sd valve in wind spout ou side of machine. The clover seed may be sacked as it falls from the aboye-msntioned special riddle or passed through the revolving screen before being sacked, as is preferred ; but in the latter case the meshes of the screen mußt be reduced so tbat only clover seed will fdl through them, and any chaff existing among the seed will then be separated from it, and pass over the delivery end of the screen and fall through the end spout into a sack or on to the ground. The wood covering over the mouth of the drum is provided with an opening at one end through which the clover is fad into the* threshing drum, and the strong convex pkte fixed at f roo t side of the drum " also provided with an opening acting aa an outlet for the threshed aee'd, is regulated by a slice which is' fitted" it. .Before closing my remarks, T mnv say there is a great uncertainty of (hI? H being any of these clover machine" in stock hare, as no encouragement has been givnn to the agent to introduce them bnl lw.J enquire nnd d.ssolve the deubt for the feemnt of those information on the subject A pr, yt erder yet be ahtppod from England in time for

threshing and dressing thin season's crop. Clover for seed should not be cut till tho blossoms or heads are withered and assume a general brown appeumnco, bui it; is not wise to leave it too long, or shedding will more than counterbalance any possible increase in weight of seed. It wan, and 1 expect still is, mown with scythe in Eugland, but I expect it will here '.>e done with a machine, although the former has its advantages by delivering in regular swathes, and preventing horses from treading off a percentaga of the heads, as it takes very little to remove the same. If the latter plan 6hould be adopted no time should be lost, after one day's sunniDg, to turn or baud-rake into light rows, for the regular action of the sun upon the seed. After sufficietat time has been given for the thorough making of the crop, by turning rows onoe or more, as circumstances may dictate, three rows may be closed into one, when the sooner rapid carting and stacking takes place the better, as clover once dried und then wet once or more by ruin, necessitating further opening and turning, will &oon shed in a proportion which will spoil the profit. I name ihia because many would think it preferable to gather into rows by horserake, but it is advisiable to keep horses' feet from crossing crop at. Although clover hay was nearly always gathered in England with horse-rake, seed clover was strictly excepted.—l am, etc., Edw. Pilbrow.