234 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



HUBAM CLOVER 



(Hughes Annual White Seed Clover) 



Circular Bulletin No. 45. 



J. F. cox, F. A. SPRAGG AND E, E. DOWN, FARM CROP SECTION. 



Great interest is being taken in the new annual white sweet clover. Judg- 

 ing by results secured at the Michigan Agricultural College and at various 

 points over the State, this new crop may become of importance in Michigan 

 as a short season hay and pasture crop and as a crop to use in soil improve- 

 ment. It is apparently well adapted to growing on light loams and may be- 

 come a valuable crop on Michigan sandy loams and light loams deficient 

 in organic matter. Bee men are also interested in the honey possibilities of 

 this crop. 



The possible agricultural value of the annual white sweet clover was first 

 seen by Professor H. D. Hughes of the Iowa Experiment Station, who noticed 

 annual plants in seed of sweet clover secured from Alabama. Mr. J. W. 

 Nicolson with approval of Professor Hughes suggests the name ' 'Hubam' ' 

 as appropriately recognizing the discoverer and the source. 



In 1918 Professor Hughes sent the Michigan Agricultural College a small 

 envelope containing 100 seeds. This small amount was carefully increased. 

 Enough seed was produced in 1919 to plant five and one-half acres at the 

 Michigan Agricultural College, and a like acreage at various points over the 

 State during the past season (1920). The college increase yielded approxi- 

 mately eight bushels per acre. 



The G. R. & I. Sub-station at Howard City on a light sandy loam three- 

 fourths of an acre, gave a yield of slightly over 10 bushels of unhulled seed, 

 which cleaned to three bushels per acre. On the farm of Mr. Olaf Nelson 

 of Aloha, Cheboygan county, an acre gave a yield of three bushels. Mr. 

 L. L. Lawrence of Decatur, Van Buren county, secured 100 seeds from 

 Professor Hughes three years ago, and harvested this year 157 pounds of 

 cleaned seed. At the Chatham Experiment Station in Alger county, Upper 

 Peninsula, the Hubam clover failed to mature seed, but produced an excellent 

 forage growth. 



In all cases observed the annual sweet clover, planted in early spring, 

 produced an excellent forage growth by mid-July— a growth which apparently 

 would yield from one and one-half to two tons of hay. It is finer stemmed 

 and finer leafed than the common sweet clover. During the coming season 

 the Farm Crops department will carry on experiments to determine the value 

 of this crop seeded with small grains, grown alone for forage, pasturage, soil 

 improvement, and seed purposes. 



THE DISTRIBUTION OF SEED. 



The supply of seed of this new crop is far from sufficient to meet the demand. 

 The commercial price in the spring of 1921 ranged from $5.00 to $8.00 per 



