108 



AGRICULTURE FOR COMMON SCHOOLS 



Crimson Clover. — This is also called German clover. It 

 lives only one year, that is, it is an annual. The seed is sown 

 in the autumn, usually August for the corn-belt states. The 



next spring it heads out 

 and produces beautiful, 

 deep red blossoms. This 

 clover does not stand 

 the winters north of the 

 Ohio River very well, 

 hence it is not largely 

 grown there. The hay 

 is too woolly to be first 

 class. This clover is best 

 for pasture and green 

 manuring, and is used 

 quite largely in the 

 southern states for such 

 purposes. Crimson clo- 

 ver does best on loose, 

 sandy loam soils. The 

 seed is sown at the rate 

 of fifteen pounds to the 

 acre. 



Alsike Clover, also 

 known as Swedish Clo- 

 ver. This clover has 

 finer stems and leaves than the other clovers. The blos- 

 soms are beautiful pink and resemble those of white clover 

 except that they are more deeply colored. Alsike clover does 

 well on wetter soils than any of the other clovers. It makes 

 finer hay than any of the others. Only one crop can be cut 



20. THE LARGE ROOT SYSTEM OF THE 

 CLOVER PLANT 



Showing the large number of nodules on the 

 roots. It is these that make the clover plant 

 so beneficial to the soil 



By courtesy of the U . S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture — Bureau of Plant Industry 



