New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 443 



graph taken October 19.) This makes an excellent cover crop, 

 because it forms a perfect mat of vegetation over the ground 

 and does not grow tall enough to interfere with the gathering 

 of fruit which ripens as late as winter apples. These plants 

 were still green and in good condition in December. 



Sweet Clover. 



An old apple orchard was sown to sweet clover {Melilotus alba) 

 at the rate of thirteen pounds of the seed per acre. It made a 

 fair catch, and away from the shade of the trees did fairly well, 

 although it was rather too thin upon the ground. In the shade 

 it did not do well. It attained a height of from four inches to 

 one foot. In December the plants were drooping and some were 

 turning black. This is a well-known roadside weed and is often- 

 times difficult to eradicate. 



Mammoth Clover. 



Mammoth clover (Trifolium medium) was tried in a young or- 

 chard and gave excellent results. It is a rank growing clover 

 much like the common red clover, but larger. This was given 

 a heavy seeding, nearly one bushel per acre. The plants were 

 very thick upon the ground and formed a close-fitting green 

 covering. (See figure 2, plate XXXI, taken October 19.) They 

 were from four to eight inches high when cold weather set in. 



Sainfoin. 



Sainfoin, or bun clover {Onobrychis sativa), at the rate of 

 twenty-five pounds of seed per acre was sown next to the mam- 

 moth clover. The plants made a short spreading growth. They 

 were still green in December. 



Dwarf Essex Rape. 



In an orchard set last spring the Dwarf Essex rape was tried. 

 About seven pounds of seed were sown per acre. The plants 

 grew rapidly, and in a few weeks formed a dense dark-green 

 mass of foliage ranging froyi one foot to two and one-half feet 

 in height. The rape is a rank grower. Its large leaves are 

 upright or spreading, and while not resting on the ground, still 



