420 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



a stand on cultivated land. Numerous failures, however, 

 show that this is not the case. Westgate's investigations 

 have led to the conclusion that the main requirement is 

 a thoroughly firmed seed bed. Another factor of impor- 

 tance is inoculation, as sweet clover seems just as likely 

 as alfalfa to fail where the proper nodule organisms are 

 absent. 



Under natural conditions the pods of sweet clover fall 

 on the ground in late summer and germinate in early 

 spring, most of them remaining on the surface or being 

 very shallowly embedded in the soil. On cultivated land 

 good stands may be secured either by sowing in early fall 

 or in spring. 



Fall seeding has the disadvantage that the root growth 

 made the first season is not very large and consequently 

 the plants the second season are not so vigorous. Further- 

 more, the crop lasts but one growing season and not two, 

 as is the case in spring planting. Fall planting in rye is 

 the common method in Germany according to Werner, 

 but in this case the crop is used mainly as green manure 

 and plowed under after one season. This method has also 

 been used occasionally with success in America, but sweet 

 clover is nearly as apt to winter-kill if thus sown as is red 

 clover. At Arlington Farm, Virginia, sweet clover was 

 sown at various dates but the best results were secured 

 when sown in May and in October. 



On the whole, spring seeding is to be preferred and this 

 has generally proved satisfactory. 



Lloyd thinks the best method for Ohio and Kentucky is 

 to sow from January to March either on wheat or on bare 

 ground, the former being the common practice in Ken- 

 tucky. In gullies the best method is to scatter sweet 

 clover straw or ripe plants with the pods still attached. 



