SWEET CLOVER AS A FORAGE-PLANT IN ALABAMA/ AS A 

 LAND-RESTORER IT HAS NO EQUAL. 



We grow a great deal of sweet clover here; and 

 after reading what has been said in GLEANINGS 1 

 inclose a few facts concerning it in this section. 

 They may not be worth publishing, yet they may 

 show forth some of the good points of sweet clover, 

 which have been doubted by so many. 



After reading the articles on pages 1120 and 1121 

 concerning sweet clover I have come to the conclu- 

 sion that those people who speak against it haven't 

 tested far enough to learn the many redeeming 

 qualities of sweet clover outside of a remarkable 

 honey-plant. 



As a whole this section of country grows a large 

 quantity of sweet clover, or melilotus, as we call it. 

 In the first place it was sown on waste places to re- 

 deem the land. As a land restorer or enricher it 

 has no equal here. Then the cattle-men began to see 

 and learn of its value for pasture. There is no 

 grass or clover here that fattens cattle so fast as 

 sweet clover does. A cattle-raiser informed me the 

 other day that people had told him that it wasn't 

 sweet clover, but Johnson grass, that fattened his 

 cattle. "But," said he, "I noted that my cattle didn't 

 gain so rapidly after the sweet clover had gone." 



It makes good feed when cut at the proper time, 

 and the stock relish it very much, leaving their 

 other hay to seek out every spear of sweet clover, 

 and eating even the coarse stalks. 



But right here, in my best judgment, is where the 

 good qualities of sweet clover have been overlooked, 

 sometimes, if not quite often, when stock have not 

 been raised on sweet clover they have to learn to 

 like it; but after once learning they never cease to 

 make use of an opportunity to help themselves to the 

 once distasteful stuff. I have known of horses that, 

 when first brought to this section, wouldn't eat sweet 

 clover at all; yet in a short time they had learned 

 to like it so well that, if turned out to graze, you 

 would see them leave all other grasses and seek out 



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