368 LESPEDEZA STRIATA. JAPAN CLOVER. 



quite remarkable. The plant freely produces small seeds, and it 

 is hard to exterminate. 



Henry Stewart, in the Country Gentleman for January, 1886, 

 says: "I assert emphatically that unless cattle and pigs are 

 starved to it, they will not eat the Japan clover, or any kind of 

 Lespedeza. A good deal has been written in favor of this plant. 

 In a few places it may be of some service. This statement is 

 given to prevent your readers from being fooled into buying the 

 seed and trying to grow it in any place north of Virginia." 



Prof. F. A. Gulley, of Mississippi, says: "For the South, 

 Japan clover is, without exception, the most valuable plant that 

 grows. After once started it grows spontaneously, except on 

 lime land. It keeps hills fiom washing, even coming in to fill 

 the 'washes.' 



"It can be killed by plowing for one year. On good land it 

 grows from 12 to 24 inches high, cuts a good crop of hay, equal 

 to first-class Timothy. For pasture from May 15th to the first 

 frost it is as good as anything we have except Bermuda grass^ 

 and equal to the best pastures at the North. It will grow when 

 blue grass and the clovers fail entirely. It stands dry weather 

 admirably, and on some soils will even choke out Bermuda. It 

 is our principal pasture during summer." 1 



Prickly or common Comfrey, Barage, and numerous other 

 plants, have been occasionally highly recommended as excellent 

 forage plants, but they have not won very general favor. 



It is very probable, especially for the South and the dryer 

 portions of our country, that we shall yet find some new forage 

 plants which will in some respects surpass any that we now cul- 

 tivate. 



