CULTURE 53 



drier Western states, nor is it likely to be very popular where 

 dry draws take the place of sloughs. The fact that it was 

 first cultivated in Sweden indicates that its northern limit will 

 be beyond that of the red and mammoth clovers. It is worthy 

 of experiment as far South as the carboniferous and calcare- 

 ous soils extend, and anywhere in the region covered by the 

 drift when there is sufficient moisture. It is not likely to be 

 in favor in the Eastern states, nor do we recommend it on 

 well-drained soils anywhere, as under these condition's red 

 clo.ver or mammoth would be preferable. Within the limits 

 indicated, fanners who allow their wetter lands to grow up in 

 coarse slough grass or their sloughs to become an eye-sore 

 either through lack of ability or unwillingness to drain, will 

 find it greatly to their advantage to sow them to alsike, thus 

 drying and narrowing them and preparing the way for blue 

 grass, t mothy and other clovers. 



Wherever farmers keep Italian bees, which everyone 

 should for the purpose of fertilizing red clover if not for the pur- 

 pose of procuring the one pure sweet, distilled by Nature her- 

 self, they should sow or induce their near neighbors to sow 

 a few acres of alsike clover even on lands that will produce a 

 greater crop of red or mammoth clover. As a honey plant 

 it probably has no superior. In addition to this it should, 

 whether on dry or wet land, form an ingredient in the mixture 

 for hog pastures, if for nothing else than for the sake of great- 

 er variety and more continuous bloom. When sown with other 

 grasses, it should be given the same covering suggested in 

 the former part of this chapter for white clover. It is, as will 

 be seen from the above, a special-purpose grass. The illus- 

 tration on page 50 will enable our readers to identify it 

 readily. 



