12 FARMER'S BOOK OF GRASSES 



sium and its oxide besides a large quantity of phosphoric and 

 sulphuric acids brought up from the subsoil in addition to the 

 large per cent-age of plant food which it condenses from the at- 

 mosphere. 



We have so many genuine clovers, which belong to the Lotus 

 tribe, that it is to be regretted that the Lespcdezas which belong 

 to v the Tickseed tribe, should ever be called a clover. 

 The hop clovers are often mistaken for Lespedeza. The former 

 however, have yellow blooms in conspicuous heads and die down 

 in June; while L. striata continues through the summer, produ- 

 cing very small purple, rose, or perhaps more properly pink col- 

 ored blooms in the axils of the leaves in September. Some years 

 a few precocious blooms are seen early in eJune. The plant pro- 

 duces many seeds, only one, however, in each little pod. 



Where it grows well, it has much root and is difficult to plow 

 under and to kill. It is also difficult to burn after being cut, and 

 may become troublesome to careless farmers. 



How this plant some thirty years ago came from Japan is un- 

 known. But for 15 years it has been rapidly spreading over the 

 southern States east of the Mississippi river. When the old ge- 

 nus Hedysarum was divided, to those plants having a one joint- 

 ed one seeded pod or akene was assigned the generic name- in 

 honor of Lespedez, a governor of Florida while under the Span- 

 ish rule. The other plants of the old genus having flat legumes 

 with two to six joints breaking at maturity into as many akciies 

 each with one seed were assigned to the genus Desmodium. 



Within a few years the L. bicolor has been introduced from the 

 Amoor river region, northern Asia, as a late summer and au- 

 tumnal ornamental plant. But this two-colored lespedeza can 

 never become a useful forage plant. 



DESMODIUM. Tick-seed, Beggar Lice. 



We have about twenty native species of Desmodium. Many 

 are Jiard, woody and nearly worthless. Several however, have 

 long been known as supplying rich food for deer as well as do- 

 mestic animals. These plants contain a large per centage of nu- 

 tritive matters as shown by Mr. Collier's 



Proximate Analysis of Desmodium from South Carolina. 

 Oil, 2.35 Anylaceous cellulose, 14.39 



Wax, .44 Alkali extracts, 7.04 



Sugars, 13.46 Albuminoids, 21.22 



Gum and dextrin, 8.15 Ash, 7.56 



Cellulose, 25.39 - 



100.00 



Analysis of Ash. 



Potassium, 6.33 Sulphuric acid, 5.10 



Potassium oxide, 27.81 Phosphoric acid, 11.87 



Sodium, .56 Silicic acid, 11.19 



Sodium oxide, Chlorine, 6.61 



Calcium oxide, 23.42 



