54 



crescGiit-sliaped mark on the upper surface; the iii;nnniuth 

 clover has a leaflet relatively narrow, ellijitical, more hairy 

 than that of the common red clover and without the whitish 

 mark. The more important practical differences are that the 

 mammoth clover is somewhat coarser and taller than the 

 common, and a little later. It is, therefore, somewhat better 

 suited for sowing in mixture with timothy and redtop than 

 the common red clover, for the latter is usually overripe be- 

 fore the timothy and redtop are sufiiciently mature to cut. 

 Both of these clovers are rather short-lived perennials ; but it 

 is nevertheless possible, as has been indicated, to produce hay 

 for a long series of years in pcrnuinent mowings in which 

 these clovers will be fairly prominent. This is possible even 

 without sowing the seed, for when the rowen crop is usually 

 harvested a portion of the heads are commonly ripe. The 

 seeds are scattered from these heads, and from these seeds 

 each year come new plants. Accordingly, though the older 

 plants die, their place in the mowing is taken by the plants 

 which grow from these accidentally scattered seeds. 



Alsihe Clover. 

 Alsike clover was once supposed to be a hybrid between 

 common red clover and white clover. It is now known that 

 this is not the case; it is a distinct species. In characteris- 

 tics, however, it is intermediate between the common red and 

 the white, showing a wonderful blending of the qualities of 

 the two. It has the ujiright habit of growth of the red clover, 

 though it is not so coarse. The head is shaped like the head 

 of the white clover, while the color of the flowers is pink. 

 Alsike clover is of much value in mowings, and seems to be 

 especially adapted to the stronger and moister soils, where 

 it does better than the conunon red. Being finer, it cures 

 more easily than either the common red or the mammoth 

 clover, producing hay of very superior quality. It is, more- 

 over, of great value as a honey crop, for the honey bee can 

 reach tjie nectar in its flowers, which it can seldom do in the 

 case of the red and mammoth clovers. In a few respects 

 alsike clover appears to be someAvhat inferior to the red and 

 mammoth varieties. In many cases it does not persist so 



