kill it out in two or three seasons. Perhaps the 

 roots would live in the soil and grow continuously 

 if kept pastured down so as not to go to seed, but not 

 so closely that the plants would be killed out. Some 

 recent observations of some patches here seem to 

 confirm this view of the matter; and if such be the 

 case this plant will pay well as a pasture plant where 

 alfalfa is not a profitable crop. Like alfalfa, sweet 

 ciover needs drainage and lime, and soils rich in 

 phosphates and potash. In food value it compares 

 well with alfalfa, according to the few analyses that 

 have been made. The bacteria that inhabit the root 

 nodules of sweet clover and alfalfa are identical, or 

 at least are capable of living on either kind of plant, 

 and for this reason sweet clover is a good plant to 

 precede alfalfa, to insure the proper inoculation of 

 the soil. We wish that more of this clover were in 

 our fields, pasture fields especially, and anywhere else 

 where it will do us more good than on the roadsides. 

 The seed may be sown in August or February, and 

 may get start enough to be pastured or cut for hay 

 the following summer. There is getting to be a 

 better understanding of sweet clover. It is no longer 

 regarded by farmers as a pestiferous weed, to be 

 fought and exterminated at any cost, but is regarded 

 now as a friend, and the danger is that we may ex- 

 pect too much from it. I am informed that it is used 

 for both hay and pasture in some of the Southern 

 States, and if any of our readers there have had ex- 

 perience with it as a field crop will they tell us what 

 they think of this clover? W. E. DUCKWALL. 



Highland Co., 0., May 22, 1909. 



SWEET-CLOVER NOTES. 



There has been some little discussion lately about 

 ttie value of sweet clover for stock food, or for im- 

 proving the soil. It was reported that the seed could 

 not be obtained, but several of the seedsmen offer It 

 mostly thus far for bee pasture. 



SWEET-CLOVER SOIL AND ALFALFA. 



And as sweet clover is everywhere growing along the 

 roadsides there is no reason why men there should not 

 59 



