52 CLOVER CULTURE. 



introduced, its seed stays in the ground. In the fall of 1891 

 we plowed under a bottom field of alsike. On account of 

 continuous rains in the spring of 1892, corn planting was 

 necessarily delayed and by the loth of June the entire field 

 was covered with a rank growth of alsike that had grown up 

 from the seed that had been lying in the soil. We have known 

 lands that have been overflowed for a sufficient length of time 

 to destroy all the tame grasses, covered, after the waters had 

 receded, with a vigorous growth of alsike, the seeding of for- 

 mer crops. The value of alsike, therefore, lies in its adaptation 

 to lands, whether bottom, marsh or slough, which on account 

 of lack of drainage or possible drainage facilities, are not 

 capable of cultivation in regular rotation and will not produce 

 profitable crops of other tame grasses. On lands of this kind 

 it is not at all difficult to secure a stand on the following 

 plan: First, burn off, the fall preceding, all wild grasses 

 that may have grown on the land. In March of the following 

 year sow from four to five pounds of alsike, mixing the seed 

 with sand so as to secure an even cast. Then either pasture 

 closely or else early in June mow off whatever grass may be 

 growing on it, first leveling the ant hills and removing what- 

 ever obstructions to the mower that may exist. This will 

 secure light and air to the young plants and the entire crop 

 of alsike and wild grass may be mown in the fall as a grass 

 crop. The next year, unless either the land or the season be 

 very wet, but little will remain save the alsike, which may be 

 used either as a hay crop or for seed. The effect of seeding in 

 this manner will be somewhat surprising. On wet lands where 

 the coarser varieties of slough grass grow, the growth of the 

 alsike will be accompanied by the decay of the roots of the 

 coarser grasses, they being smothered out by the rank growth 

 of the alsike. This will have the effect in time of allowing the 

 water to sink away that has heretofore been held by the mass of 

 roots of the wild grass, and especially if the land be pastured after 

 the first and second year' s mowing, the entire surface will be com- 

 pacted by the tramping of cattle, and if a slough, the water con- 

 fined to the center. It will then be possible inthe course of two or 

 three years to sow white or red clover or blue grass, the result 

 of drier conditions. In fact, we know of no way ot reducing 

 the width of a slough and limiting it to a narrow channel so- 

 effective as sowing with alsike and treating in the manner 

 above indicated. 



We are not advised as to the climatic range of alsike 

 clover. Manifestly its cultivation is not practicable in the 



