1 64 THE FORAGE AND FIBER CROPS IN AMERICA 



is essentially like that of white clover. It produces an abundance 

 of honey of high quality, and is prized by bee-keepers for 

 this purpose. 



For mixture in temporary pastures it serves an excellent pur- 

 pose. For permanent pastures it is not as desirable as white 

 clover, because of its less perennial (three to five years) and less 

 creeping habit, and because it is less readily eaten by live stock, 

 probably on account of its slightly bitter taste. 1 The Tennessee 

 Station reports that, when pastured exclusively upon alsike 

 clover, horses and mules may be affected with serious lesions 

 of the skin and mucous membranes. 2 



179. Seed and Seeding. The seeds of alsike clover are wider 

 than long, about 0.04 inch long, 0.05 inch wide and 0.024 inch 

 thick. By weight they are about one-fourth larger than those 

 of white clover and about one-half the size of 

 red clover seeds. There are about 700,000 seeds 

 to the pound. The radicle varies from beyond 

 ^^ one-half to nearly the whole length of the seed 

 ^P and projects prominently, thus usually giving a 

 distinctly heart-shaped appearance to the seed. 

 Alsike clover The color is varied and frequently mottled from 



pod on the left: ,, ,, , t 



single seed on ve l low to g r een, the predominating color being 

 the right. En- olive green. Old seeds become reddish brown and 



larged four . . .. 



times> are sometimes dyed green to give fresh appear- 



ance, which may be detected by rubbing with a 

 white cloth. The purity of commercial seed is generally rather 

 better than with red clover, while the germinating power is not 

 so good. The standard of purity should be 98 per cent, and 

 of germination not less than 75 per cent. Canada thistle seed 

 and wire grass or Canada blue grass seed are more common 

 than in red clover seed,, doubtless due to the region in which 

 the seed is chiefly produced. The viability of the seed is not 



1 Stabler and Schroter: Best Forage Plants, p. 86. 



2 Tennessee Sta. Bui. Vol. XVIII (1905), No. 3. 



