52 SECOND THOUSAND QUESTIONS IN AGRICULTURE 



the production of tremendous growth where moisture is adequate 

 during the frostless months. Its seed so closely resembles Johnson 

 grass that there is danger, unless seed growers are very careful, there 

 will be a mixture and Johnson grass would be introduced in the seed. 



Alfilaria or Filaree? 



Give a brief outline of the value of alfilaria in California, also its 

 habits and soil and moisture requirements. 



Alfilaria or "filaree" (both names being corruptions or derivatives 

 from the Spanish name of the plant, alfilerilla), is sometimes called 

 pin-clover or pin-grass, but it is neither a clover nor a grass but a 

 member of the geranium family. It is in California a very valuable, wild, 

 winter-growing forage plant generally grazed but occasionally cut 

 for hay. It is an annual, starting with the fall rains, growing freely 

 during the rainy period, making seed progressively while in growth, 

 and dying with the drying of the soil early in the dry season. Its 

 growth is directly proportional to the richness of the soil and the 

 abundance of moisture, though it endures drouthy intervals in the 

 rainy season well and is therefore entitled to drouth resistance, though 

 it grows little during the California dry season except on low, moist 

 ground. It must be sown each year either naturally or by seeding 

 actually it is almost entirely self-sown. It is a good wild feed during 

 the growing season and its remains are a factor in the naturally-cured 

 hay or what is called "dry feed" in this State. From California the 

 plant has been distributed widely southeast through Arizona and 

 beyond, where winter temperatures are not too low for its endurance. 

 It is not a plant for "wintry" climates. 



Objections to Sweet Clover. 



You refer to "sweet clover" as though rather skeptical of its useful- 

 ness. Can you give me your reasons? I plan to sow white sweet clover 

 in a small patch for soiling, with barley as a nurse crop, in land that has 

 had corn. 



Our objections are that the yellow species grows all too well 

 with the moisture which would make a barley or wheat crop and is 

 counted a great pest by grain growers, not only because it takes 

 the moisture but it imparts its perfume to the grain, and it even 

 goes into the flour and disgusts the bakers. The sweet clovers are 

 good winter growers in California. White sweet clover persists in 

 making winter growth in alfalfa, and sometimes leads the farmer to 

 think that he has discovered a new kind of winter-growing alfalfa, 

 but he soon learns that the intrusion is exceedingly undesirable 

 because the plant is not generally acceptable to stock, owing to its 

 rank flavor. Another objection to sweet clover is that it is not 

 perennial as are red clover, alfalfa, etc., and its growth the third year 

 depends upon the seed of the second; and though it will be very 

 likely to come, it is apt to be patchy unless the seed is gathered and 



