BUR CLOVERS 



155 



be used to the acre, but when sown alone 8 to 10 pounds is 

 satisfactory. 



Sweet Clover. — Sweet clover {Melilotus alba), the most valu- 

 able forage species of the genus, is an erect, branching plant, 

 3 to 8 feet tall, with small white flowers in elongated racemes 

 (Fig. 49). It is a biennial and seldom blossoms the first year. 

 The plant is characterized by a sweet odor, and on this account 

 has been given the common name " sweet clover." It is a native 

 of Europe and Asia and is thought to have been introduced into 

 North America from western Asia about 1739. 



This species is widely distributed over the United States and 

 Canada, where, along roadsides and in other waste places, it 

 grows with various weeds. Although sweet clover is not un- 

 commonly a pest in cultivated fields, it is largely used as a pasture 

 plant. Sweet clover is unusually cold-enduring, but it is never- 

 theless well adapted to southern climates. 



Except under the most favorable conditions of cultivation the 

 growth of sweet clover is somewhat backward the first season. 

 The second year growth starts early, and the stand usually 

 reaches full height in two to three months. In the Northern 

 States, when the plant is cut early for hay, a luxuriant aftermath 

 is produced. In the Southern States as many as three good cut- 

 tings are obtained in a season. 



The seed habits of sweet clover are exceptionally strong. In 

 most regions the seed is sown either in early spring or in the fall, 

 often with wheat or rye. About 20 pounds of hulled seed is sown 

 to the acre. 



The main objection to the use of sweet clover as a pasture and 

 hay plant is its bitter taste. At first most foraging animals 

 refuse to feed upon it, but in time they become accustomed to 

 the taste, devour the leafage and tender stems with rehsh, and 

 do well when feeding upon it. 



Bur Clovers. — Bur clovers (Medicago) are members of the 

 same genus as alfalfa. They are primarily adapted to regions 

 of mild, moist winters. In the United States this embraces the 

 cotton-growing area of the South and all of the Pacific coast 

 west of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains. 



