FOOD FROM PASTURES 311 



grown alone or along with other winter crops that will 

 provide grazing, as vetches or rye. It may be grazed in 

 the autumn or spring or at both seasons but close grazing 

 in the autumn frequently endangers the life of the plants. 

 They furnish grazing very early in the spring. Crimson 

 clover is more grown as a fertilizer than as a pasture. 



Japan clover is grown chiefly in the southern states. 

 It is an annual but, like White clover, it has much power 

 to reseed itself, and thus to remain in soil where it has once 

 been grown. It is much prized as a pasture plant in 

 considerable areas of the South, whether grown alone or 

 in yearly alternation along with such plants as turf oats 

 and sand vetches. The oats and vetches furnish spring 

 grazing, and the Japan clover grazing in the summer and 

 early autumn. Stock do not take kindly to it at first, but 

 soon become fond of it. If allowed to form seed before 

 the grazing begins, it is less relished than if grazed earlier. 

 It starts late in the spring and is easily injured by autumn 

 frosts. 



Bur clover, like Japan clover, is grown only in the 

 South. Unlike Japan clover, which furnishes grazing in 

 the summer and early autumn, Bur clover furnishes the 

 same in the winter and early spring. It has sometimes 

 been grown for successive years in alternation with Crab 

 grass, the latter being used for hay or pasture. Both 

 have much power to reseed themselves. Bur clover is 

 not highly palatable, but in time animals become accus- 

 tomed to it. It is most relished when the plants are 

 young. 



Plants of the Brassica family. The most important 

 of these, beyond all comparison, grown for pasture in 

 America, is the Dwarf Essex rape plant. To a limited 

 extent kale is grown for the same purpose especially on 

 the slopes of western Oregon and Washington, beside 

 the Pacific. Cabbage is also grown to a very limited ex- 

 tent to provide grazing for sheep. When fed to other 

 stock, it is more as soiling food than as grazing. 



