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the amount of labor necessary to keep weeds in check, and to supply 

 the soil with an abundance of nitrogen. 



Forty-three packages of crimson clover seed have been distributed 

 for trial, but most of it in the spring of 1899, so that the number of 

 reports are few. 



Twelve experimenters have reported, and out of these there were 

 7 failures, 3 unsatisfactory, and only 2 good reports. 



Mr. P. S. Early, Mockville, Davie County, N. C. : 



The seed was sown October 1, 1897, on rich red clay soil, which had been thor- 

 oughly prepared by deep plowing and harrowing. It was cut about April 25, 1898, 

 and yielded splendidly at about 2 tons to the acre. The quality of the forage is good, 

 and for an early green crop the very thing for this section. 



Mr. George Williams, Potomac, Prince Williams County, Va. : 

 I planted the crimson clover September 20, 1899, with a garden hoe, and made the 

 ground in fine condition. It is now (December, 1899) lookuag well and promising. 



AliSIKE CLOVER (Trifolium hybridum) . 



A common, perennial legume, 1 to 3 feet high, with branching leafy 

 stems bearing white or rose-colored flower-heads. It is especially 

 adapted for cultivation in wet meadows or marshy lands, and will not 

 withstand severe drought. The leaves are slightlv bitter, and on this 

 account the forage is not so well liked by stock as that of red or white 

 clover. As it can endure very low degrees of temperature, it can be 

 cultivated in the far North and in high altitudes very successfully. 

 Twenty-three trial packages of the seed of alsike clover have been dis- 

 tributed from this division since 1896. but only live experimenters have 

 reported the results obtained, and of these only three were favorable. 



Mr. W. H. Heideman, Kalispell, Flathead County, Mont., says: 

 A rather moist, rich, sandy loam was used, which was plowed and harrowed twice. 

 The seed was sown without a nurse crop ]May 4, 1898, then smoothed with a lever 

 harrow and rolled. As the season was cold and rainy, it did not mature seeds, but 

 the quality of the fodder was good. None of it was killed out during the severe 

 winter weather, and it is now pretty well demonstrated that clover can be made a 

 paying crop here when grown for forage, but questionable as to the production of 

 seed. It grew very heavy, but not very tall. The yield would be at least one and 

 one-half tons to the acre. 



RUSSIAN RED CLOVER i Trifolium pratense var. pallida). 



A large quantity of the seed of this variety was obtained for the 

 Department through Prof. N. E. Hansen in 1898 from the experiment 

 station at Valnjka, province of Samara, Russia. During the years 1898 

 and 1899, 341: 3-pound packages were distributed by this Division 

 through the Section of Seed and Plant Introduction. This distribution 

 includes experimenters in 37 different States, and 152 experimenters 

 have reported the results of their trials. Very favorable reports have 

 been received from Illinois, Indiana. Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, 



