130 One Thousand Questions in Agriculture 



deal more space than an ordinary cabbage, for it makes a tall free 

 growth, and space must be had for the growth of the plant and for 

 going into the patch for stripping off leaves and cultivation. The 

 plant can be started in the rainy season whenever the land comes 

 into good condition. It is a winter grower in California valleys. 



Rape and Mile. 



Would rape be a good pasture crop sown broadcast? If so, at zvhat 

 time should it be plantedf Will Milo maize groiv profitable in Sonoma 

 county? 



Rape can be sown as soon as the land gets moist enough from 

 early rains to start the seed and hold the growth. It is a winter- 

 growing plant in this State. We believe, however, you will get better 

 results with common vetch, which is also a winter grower and more 

 nutritious. If you desire one of the cabbage family, kale will prob- 

 ably serve you better than rape. Milo is one of the sorghums and 

 will only grow during the frostless period, like Kafir, Egyptian corn 

 and other sorghums. It will do well with you, but probably make 

 less growth than in the interior valleys. 



Sweet Clover Not an Alfalfa. 



/ send you a sample of alfalfa which grows very vigorous here on 

 my place spontaneously and zvould like you to give me all the informa- 

 tion about it you zvill, as a feed for cozvs and hogs. The stock seem to 

 eat it well. 



The plant is not alfalfa at all. It is white sweet clover (melilotus 

 alba), and it is usually considered a great pest in alfalfa fields, because 

 although it grows vigorously as you describe, it is not generally ac- 

 cepted by stock, unless once in awhile some one considers it a good 

 thing, perhaps because he keeps stock hungry enough to enjoy it 

 in spite of its rank taste and smell, but usually when they can get 

 alfalfa they will not pay much attention to this plant. It is good 

 for bee pasturage, however, and is grown to some extent for that 

 purpose. You probably had the seed of it in your alfalfa seed. It 

 is a biennial and not a perennial like alfalfa. It will disappear if 

 you can keep it from going to seed. 



Sweet Clover as a Cover Crop. 



How about melilotus as a cover crop? Last year in certain sections 

 it proved very successful, while in others it did not give satisfaction. 



Melilotus, by virtue of its hardiness in growing at low tempera- 

 tures, its depth of root penetration, the availability of the seed, the 

 smallness of the seed so that the weight required for the acre is 

 not large, is to be favored for a cover crop. The objections are two: 

 The fact that it does not seem to grow well under some conditions; 

 second, that when a growth is made it is coarse and rangey, and 

 the amount of green stuff to the acre is much less than its appear- 



