INTRODUCTORY. 



There has been so much discussion in regard to 

 . .-sweet clover for years past that I have thought best 

 , ><H *to present in this booklet some testimonials from 

 bee-keepers and others from many widely separated 

 localities. There are certain people who will have 

 it that sweet clover is a noxious weed, and that its 

 spread should be restrained by law; in fact, there 

 have been laws and ordinances passed requiring farm- 

 ers and others to mow it down along the roadsides; 

 but at the present time I believe our best agricultur- 

 ists regard it as no more a weed than many of the 

 other clovers; and it is just as easy to eradicate it 

 by plowing it under. Our Ohio Experiment Station 

 has at different times expressed its opinion in regard 

 to it; and below is a statement recently furnished us 

 from the present able director, Professor Thorne: 



SWEET CLOVER, MAY IT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE 

 CLASSED AS A NOXIOUS WEED? 



OHIO AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, 



WOOSTER, OHIO, Feb. 23, 1905. 



Mr. Root : When you get out a new circular I wish you 

 would cut out the statement that this station has ever 

 classed sweet clover as a noxious weed. Away back in 

 1877-78, I called attention, through Farm and Fireside, in 

 an article which was copied generally in the agricultural 

 press, to the fact that this plant grows only where noth- 

 ing else will grow, and appears to be designed as a reno- 

 vator of exhausted soils. I have never permitted it to be 

 classed as a noxious weed while in control of this station. 

 CHAS. E. THORNE, Director. 



Just at present sweet clover is coming out more 

 prominently than ever before, because it is found to 

 be one of the best of the legumes for introducing the 

 nitrogen bacteria that have the little nodules on the 

 roots of the plants. We have not space in this circu- 



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