322 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. — Oct.. 1922. 



height of from 4-8 ft. attaiiUMJ. It flowers irregularly over a period 

 of at least two months . . . ; in the later stages the lower stems 

 are somewhat woody. The plant has a pleasant odour, resembling 

 Tonquin beans. It has a well-de^ eloped root-system, which penetrates 

 deeply into the soil, loosening it, and providing favourable conditions 

 for succeeding crops. After seeding', the plant dies. 



"It resembles the biennial form of melilotus in appearance; the 

 annual has a smaller, more woody root, and crown or resting bvids are 

 not formed. The stems, branches, flowers, pods, and seed are 

 indistinguishable from the biennial form, but during* the season of 

 seeding the annual grows more rapidly, blossoms, fruits, and dies. 



" In the case of the biennial, the slender stem of the first season's 

 growth dies and is represented by a stub of dead tissue. 



" Around the stub, and coming from the crown, two or more 

 strong branches form in the second year (the growth from the resting 

 buds) ; such branches never occur in the annual form. The seed of the 

 annual cannot be distinguished from that of the biennial form." 



Origin. 



A few plants were found by Piofessor Hughes in greenhouses 

 at the Iowa Experiment Station in the winter of 1915-16 among 

 biennial white clover plants being tested from various parts of the 

 United States. Its probable point of origin was determined to be a 

 limestone ridge in Alabama. There Professor Hughes found it grow- 

 ing wild, crowding out weeds, and over a considerable acreage being 

 cultivated and cut for hay. 



Uses. 



Although Hubam clover can be used for several purposes, 

 its best use is that of a pasture renovator and soil builder. Owing to 

 its vigorous growth, it is an ideal plant for green manuring. It is 

 reported that a seeding of Hubam made in IS^ew York put on a growth 

 of 9 ft. in 3 months and 16 days. At the Groenkloof Botanical 

 Station within 3^ months it grew to 7 ft. -7 ft. 6 in. Here, too, it 

 has proved to grow very well with established Kikuyu grass. Plate 1 

 shows Hubam clover growing with Kikuyu. It not only lenovates the 

 Kikuyu, l)ut supports the slender stems of the Kikuyu. In some 

 places the Kikuyu attained a height of over 3 ft. when growing with 

 Hubam. 



It commences growth much earlier than Kikuyu. At the time 

 of writing — first week in i\.ugust — Hubam from self-soMii seed is show- 

 ing about 3 inches above the Kikuyu. It is apparently an excellent 

 pasture-renovator. Kikuyu, after the third year it is established, 

 becomes sod-bound, but when grown with Hubam it does not "go off " 

 as when grown by itself. Hubam, through the agency of its deep- 

 growing root-system, prevents the Kikuyu becoming sod-bound, and, 

 being a legume, keeps the grass well supplied witli nitrogen. The 

 Rural New Yorker states: "Inside of 100 days annual white sweet 

 clover will bring to the soil and distribute as much nitrogen as a 

 farmer can hope to get from fifteen loads of manure to the acre. . . . 

 We have never seen any legume grow as fast as this does." 



It cannot be recommended as a hay-plant; it has coarse woody 

 stems and the leaves drop off before the rest of the plant is fit to be 

 stocked. 



