BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 73 



heretofore available for such work has been entirely inadequate; in 

 view of the fact that for several years' past there has been an in- 

 creasing deficiency in live-stock products, it is believed that larger 

 appropriations should be made for this work. 



SUBSTITUTE FOR RED CLOVER. 



Reports received by this office during the year indicate that for five 

 or six years past there has been increasing difficulty in securing a crop 

 of clover in sections where clover has long been the leading legumi- 

 nous crop. This is i^articularly the case on upland gravelly soils in 

 the Middle Northern States. The causes of this difficulty and the 

 remedy for it are unknown. Under such circumstances it is natural 

 that attention should be turned to other legumes to take the place of 

 clover. During the year this office has paid particular attention to 

 alfalfa, cowpeas, and soy beans, the work being in the special charge 

 of Mr. A. S. Hitchcock. 



Alfalfa. — A study has been made of varieties of this crop secured in 

 different countries, and some varieties have been fo:.nd that are o'f 

 special interest to farmers in the clover-produeiug section. A variety 

 from Peru has been found to make a larger growth, to stand up better, 

 and to resist disease better than the common alfalfa of the Western 

 States. A portion of an importation from Asia has been found to 

 resist the severe winters of the northern prairie States. During the 

 year more than 4,000 pounds of alfalfa seed have been used in coop- 

 erative experiments between this office and experiment stations and 

 farmers in the Middle and Eastern States. It has been shown that 

 alfalfa is a valuable hay crop in all parts of the humid region on cer- 

 tain types of soil. The best methods of starting this crop have been 

 determined, and it is now comparatively easy to secure a good stand 

 in parts of the country where alfalfa had previously been tried with- 

 out success. Mr. C. R. Ball has had charge of the testing of varieties, 

 and Mr. A. S. Hitchcock of the cooperative work with farmers. 



Cowpeas. — Since alfalfa is better adapted to permanent meadows 

 than to rotation cropping, there is a need for leguminous crops to 

 grow in rotation with grain crops. Of those tried for this purpose 

 none gives more promise than cowpeas. Very little is known of this 

 crop in the clover section, and this office has undertaken to collect 

 and grow all available varieties in order to be able to meet the press- 

 ing demand for information concerning them. Some seventy-five 

 varieties are now being grown at Arlington Farm under the close 

 scrutiny of Mr. C. R. Ball and Mr. W. M. Pollock, and a careful record 

 of all important characteristics of each variety is being made. Seed 

 of several varieties has been distributed in the Middle and Eastern 

 States, where they are most needed, and most encouraging results 

 have been secured. 



In addition to the study of cowpeas as a substitute for clover, this 

 office is studying varieties adapted to rotation farming in the South, 

 where the crop is already an important one. It is intended during 

 the coming year to make selections of individual plants with a view 

 to improving standard varieties for hay-making purposes. The com- 

 mon faults to bo overcome are coarseness of vine and the ease with 

 which the leaves are broken off in handling. 



Soy beans. — During the year seeds of soy beans have been distrib- 

 uted in the clover section, and much valuable information about this 



