37 



best upon the medium or lighter soils. They ai-e very deep rooted. 

 They are nitrogen gatherers but are killed by frosts and therefore 

 cannot serve as nitrogen conservers. Lupines have little fodder 

 value. They are not palatal)le to most classes of animals though 

 sheep may be fed a moderate amount of them. They make a very 

 quick growth, and are, because of this and the other qualities named, 

 among the most valuable ci'ops for the improvement of the lighter soils. 

 The table above given shows how large an increase in the succeeding 

 grain crop they are capable of producing when cultivated under the 

 right conditions. About one bushel of seed per acre is sufficient. 



Serrndella. — This crop is much prized in some parts of Europe, but 

 while it must be admitted that it is a valuable fodder and, as shown by 

 the above table, also capable of largely increasing the productiveness 

 of the soil, still on account of the slow growth at fii'st I am not inclined 

 to recommend it. Unless it can be weeded and cultivated at the start 

 it is likely to be stifled by the weeds upon all ordinary fields. It 

 seems, further, that our di-ier climate is less favorable to its growth than 

 the more humid European climate. Nine pounds of seed per acre is 

 sufficient. 



Crimson Clover. — Concerning no crop brought to the attention of 

 farmers in recent times has so much been said and written as of this 

 plant. Under the right conditions it is undoubtedly a valuable fodder 

 and one of the most valuable green-manuring plants. The above tal)le 

 shows a large increase in the succeeding crop due to its cultivation. In 

 the United States there have been many reports of success in soil im- 

 provement by its cultivation. Perhaps in none of these were more 

 striking results obtained than in an experiment reported by Professor 

 Neale of the Delaware Experiment Station.* I quote from that report 

 as follows : — 



" Eight tons 600 pounds of crimson clover from seed, which cost f 1 

 per acre, added 24 bushels to the corn crop. One dollar invested in ni- 

 trate of soda and used as a top-dressing added 6 bushels to the corn 

 croi?. Hence, in this case $1 invested in clover seed returned four times 

 as much as |l invested in nitrate of soda. As to the relative amount of 

 labor involved, the sowing of the seed and the broadcasting of the ni- 

 trate of soda possibly balance each other. Ploughing down a green 

 crop is doubtless far more costly than ploughing bare ground. This 

 drawback may reduce the above-named apparent gain 25 per cent." 



In Delaware, crimson clover appears to be perfectly hardy ; it is un- 

 injured by the winter; but in most parts of Massachusetts this clover is 

 not found to be hardy. It is only in those localities where it can stand 

 the winter that crimson clover is likely to prove of great importance. 

 In such localities it will prove valuable both as a fodder ci'op and for 

 green-manuring As a fodder crop it would be valued chiefly because 

 it is ready to cut earlier in the spring than any of our other clovers. 

 Feeding it in large quantities, however, has in a few cases been found 

 injurious on account of the balls of hairs from the heads which form in 

 the stomach or intestines. Crimson clover is a nitrogen gatherer. It is 



* Delaware ExperiVnent Station Report for 1892. 



