142 THE FORAGE AND FIBER CROPS IN AMERICA 



of the soil. When the plants are subject to heaving, plants may 

 be found with the tap root broken off near the surface of the 

 earth. The tap root is doubtless an important factor in enabling 



the red clover to withstand 

 drought, but probably the im- 

 portance of red clover as an agent 

 in bringing plant food from the 

 sub-soil into the surface soil has 

 been overestimated, since by far 

 the largest root area is to be 

 found in the surface soil. 



The roots of red clover have 

 an interesting habit of shortening 

 and thus drawing the crown of 

 the plant down into the soil. 

 "This change protects the lower 

 buds from the scythe, gives the 

 plant a firmer hold of the ground, 

 and prevents uprooting during 

 winter." 1 Under greenhouse 

 conditions this occurs in six to 



Individual plants of red clover, showing eight weeks after Sprouting. Un- 

 root system: a one week from planting; . 1M < , , 



b two weeks from planting der llke conditions tubercles ap- 



pear upon the main root in two 



weeks and upon branches in four weeks. 2 The tubercles, at first 

 spherical and later becoming pear-shaped and sometimes com- 

 pounded into clusters, are about one-tenth of an inch in length 

 with one-third to one-half that diameter. 



148. Habit of Growth above Ground. The primary stem 

 always remains short and never flowers, but bears a rosette of 

 leaves by reason of the short internodes. From the axils of 



1 Stebler and Schroter: The Best Forage Plants, p. 127. 



2 Laura Gano: The True Clovers; thesis, Master of Science in Agriculture. 

 Cornell University, p. 147, 1906. 



