14 



A NEW TYPE OF EED CLOVER. 



domestic strains that have been under test. This in itself is of 

 great importance, but the actual gain in value is not adequately 

 covered by this fact alone. On account of the succulence of the 

 plants of this promising variety, the general quality and texture of 

 the hay is so much finer that the percentage of waste, due to refusal 

 of animals to eat hard, woody portions, is reduced to a minimum. 

 Some observations on this point indicate that cattle waste from 5 to 

 10 per cent more of the coarse hay of other strains than of this hair- 



FiG. 2.— Plant of Trifolium pratense var. foliosum, showing persisting basal leaves. 



(One-sixth natural size.) 



less clover. The American strains vary considerablv among them- 

 selves in this regard, but none of them compares favorably with 

 either the Orel or jSIogileff strains, particularly the former. 



EFFECT OF PERSISTING BASAL LEAVES ON aUALITY OF HAY. 



A point of considerable importance as regards the excellence of 

 the hay produced by the hairless Orel clover No. 16 rests in the fact 

 that it leafs much more profusely than the American forms. This 

 may be seen b^^ reference to the frontispiece (PL I, figs. 1 and 2). 



95 



