336 FIELD CROPS 



gan, Missouri, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania with about 

 one and three quarters of a milHon acres each; and IlUnois 

 and Ohio with more than a milUon acres each. 



In the region north of the Ohio River and east of the 

 Missouri, to the Atlantic Ocean, red clover is more widely 

 grown than any other legume, and is probably sown on a 

 larger acreage than all other legumes combined. White 

 clover is very common in pastures over this area, but is not 

 generally sown; for, Hke Kentucky blue grass, it rapidly 

 estabHshes itself on fields which lie undisturbed for a few 

 years. In the South, where it does not thrive, red clover is 

 replaced by numerous annual legumes and to some extent 

 by alfalfa, while in the irrigated sections alfalfa is much more 

 commonly grown on account of the greater number of crops 

 it produces in a season and its longer period of life. 



445. The Best Soils for Red Clover. Red clover makes 

 its best growth on a deep, fertile loam, though the soil does 

 not need to be rich in nitrogen on account of the power of this 

 plant, through the nitrifying bacteria, to utilize the nitrogen 

 in the air. Like other legumes, red clover will store up little 

 nitrogen on soils which are already well-stocked with it, but_ 

 the bacteria do much more effective work on soils with a low 

 nitrogen content. Some nitrogen is necessary to give the 

 plants a start and allow time for the bacteria to establish 

 themselves, but the supply need not be large. A deep soil 

 is desirable for clover, as the root system is extensive; the 

 roots will go down 5 or 6 feet if possible. 



As clover draws rather heavily on the supply of potash 

 and phosphorus, these elements should be present in fairly 

 liberal quantities. In general, any soil which will grow good 

 corn will grow clover. Wet, undrained land is not adapted 

 to red clover. On such soils alsike clover can be grown more, 

 successfully. On poor soils the application of eight or ten 

 loads of barnyard manure to an acre will aid materially in 

 getting a good stand and healthy growth of red clover. 



