CRIMSON CLOVER 



BY 

 J. F. DUGGAR. 

 SUMMARY. 



Crimson clover is an annual soil-improving plant. It 

 suits most soils in Alabanui. The seed are sown in Septem- 

 ber among the growing plants and covered. 



The plants in early bloom can be plowed under about 

 ' A])ril 1, as a fertili/An* for cotton, corn, sweet potatoes, or 

 other summe" crop; or the clover can be cut for hay \m 

 the latter i)art of April and the stubble used as fertilizer. 



The yields of summer crops following the plowing in of 

 either the entire growth, or merely the stubble, of crimson 

 clover have been much greater than where no crimson clover 

 has been -^own. 



The condition most essential to success in growing crim- 

 son clover consists in inoculation. This is most certainly 

 <^ffected by sowing with the seed as much as practicable of 

 the soil front a spot where crimson clover, red clover, white 

 clover, or annual white clover, has recejitly grown success- 

 fully. The last mentioned occurs in nearly all jwirts of 

 Alabama, bu: is not easy to find after :May, when its white 

 heads turn brown and the ])lant dies. 



White clover and annual white clover can usually be 

 found in old lawns and sjiots in ]iastures. Both are low- 

 plants with wirite heads on the end of the short flower stem,, 

 and both hav? leave;? consisting of three roundish or heart- 

 shai>ed leaflets each about the size of the linger nail of one's 

 little finger. 



Soil from lesjedeza (Japan clover) does not inoculate- 

 crimson clover. 



Soil has been found to be a more reliable method of in- 

 oculation than the use of artifical inoculating material^, 

 called ])ure cultures. 



