364 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



June, 1920 



grew in the greeaihouse, and this difference was 

 shown in their seedlings. Some came into bloom 



2 Vs months after seeding, while others required 



3 V2 months at least. At 3 V2 months the best strains 

 had reached a height of 4% feet. During this same 

 time the common or biennial wtiite sweet clover 

 had grown only 12 to 14 inches, while the yellow 

 sweet clover stood eight to ten inches high. A fur- 

 ther comparison was made with medium red clover. 

 As many of our readers know, under ideal condi- 

 tions of soil and weather red clover will sometimes 

 make 12 or even 18 inches of growth the same sea- 

 son it is seeded — but that is unusual. In this 

 Towa e.xperiment the red clover seeded at the same 

 time as the annual sweet clover made from three to 

 five inches of growth, while the sweet clover grew 

 three to 4V2 feet. 



Mr. Hughes tells how this difference in growth 

 was noted on the original plants grown in the 

 greenhouse. 



" When the plants were mature they were pulled, 

 and the root growth found then large and vigorous, 

 but entirely different from that of the biennial sweet 

 clovers. The biennials have a large succulent tap- 

 root at the end of the first season's growth, much 

 like that of a par.snip, and at the top of the root, 

 about an inch below the surface of the ground, a 

 crown with anywhere from five to fifty buds ready 

 to burst forth at the first sign of spring. But the 

 root of the new clover was entirely different. Altho 

 large and vigorous, there was no life-giving succu- 

 lence, and no crown nor buds to begin life anew 

 the next spring. The plant had made its full 

 grovirth, bloomed, ripened its seed, and died — tcjps, 

 roots, and all, clearly establishing the fact that this 

 clover was an annual." 



The annual sweet clover has about the same 

 analysis as clover or alfalfa. It has the same habit 

 of taking nitrogen from the air, and in the season 

 of seeding it makes four or five times as much 

 growth as red clover and gets out of the way for the 

 next season's crop. 



TESTING THE NEW PLANT. — Having become satis- 

 fied that this annual sweet clover is a new plant 

 and that it has the power to reproduce its peculiar 

 characteristics, the Iowa Station proceeded to col- 

 lect se«d and fully test the clover. This seed was 

 sent in small quantities all over this country, and 

 from Denmark to Hawaii. It has given good re- 

 sults everywhere. It made its full growth in from 

 three to four months, and grew from 3 V2 to seven 

 feet high — depending on soil a^d conditions. A re- 

 port from Hawaii shows that they grew two crops 

 in the season — the second from seed produced by 

 the first crop. The first averaged five feet in height, 

 the second 4 1/^ — with fully seven weeks' bloom for 

 the bees. In Mississippi seeds were sown in the 

 fall to see if they would endure the southern win- 

 ters. The plants came thru the winter, and by May 

 15 were lanje enough to ploiv vrtder for fertilizing 

 — thus indicating a new value for the plant. In 

 fact, it would seem as if this clover is to serve as 

 the unusual nitrogen hired man. 



One of the most interesting tests made thus far 

 with the annual white sweet clover was at the Iowa 

 Agricultural Experiment Station in 1919, when 

 the clover was sown with Iowa oats. The oats 

 were drilled in at the rate of three bushels per acre, 

 and biennial clover was seeded at the rate of 15 

 pounds per acre, with a small amount of seed of 

 the annual white sweet clover scattered in also. An 

 excellent stand of clover was secured. ^Vhen the 

 oats were in the milk stage they were cut with a 

 mower for hay, clipping the clover plants off close 

 to the ground. Following the removal of the oats 

 the clover grew vigorously. The biennial white 

 Kwcet clover, which made a very thick stand, grew 

 to a height of about 18 inches, while the annual 

 white sweet clover plants grew to a height of from 



three to 4% feet and came into bloom, but did not 

 set seed. Similar reports regarding the growth of 

 this clover when seeded in with small grain have 

 come from different parts of the country. 



PASTURE POSSIBILITIES. — In Kansas the clover 

 was seeded in the spring on winter wheat. This 

 wheat made a rank, heavy growth, yet after it was 

 cut the sweet clover came on and made a growth of 

 SVz to 4V2 feet — and matured seed. Let any man 

 consider the amount of pasture for hogs or cattle 

 this growth of clover would make, ox how it would 

 fit the land for corn or potatoes ! Why cannot you 

 do the same after any crop which will mature at 

 least 10 weeks before frost? Someone might easily 

 have made a fortune by holding this seed like a 

 miser until a large quantity had been gathered, and 

 then offering it at an extravagant price. That has 

 beeri done many times with worthless " varieties " 

 by using some well-advertised name. In the case 

 of this new clover a full and free distribution will 

 be made. The Department of Agriculture and sev- 

 eral seed companies are at work developing strains 

 of this annual clover, but the original discovery was 

 made at the Iowa College, and full credit should be 

 given Mr. H. D. Hughes. 



We take pleasure in giving the following 

 from The National Stockman and Farmer 

 of April Sd: 



A NEW DISCOVERY AN ANNUAL SWEET CLOVER. 



An annual white sweet clover which a few years 

 ago was not known to be in existence was discovered 

 ar the Iowa Experiment Station, Ames, la., in 

 March, 1916, by Professor H. D. Hughes, who is in 

 charge of the Crop Investigation work at that Sta- 

 tion. Since that time it has been tried out with 

 wonderful results in all parts of the country, grow- 

 ing to a height of from four to eight feet in four 

 months from seeding. 



One of the most interesting reports was received 

 from Mr. Henry Field, a prominent Iowa seedsman, 

 who had the following to say regarding the annual 

 white sweet clover : 



" Most of the plants were higher than a man's 

 head. Bore leaves very close to the ground. Were 

 exceptionally well branched and fine stemmed, re- 

 sembling in this regard the yellow biennial. First 

 blooms 80 days from seeding. It is going to be a 

 gieat crop for the beekeepers. In fact, it is going 

 to be a boon to the whole country, especially to the 

 renter. A quick-growing legume has been needed 

 this long while. It grows from four to seven, feet 

 high in about four months. The hay crop may be 

 obtained in three months; pasture almost in 30 

 days if used judiciously. It will make as much 

 growth in four months as the biennial does in 15 

 months and seems to be in every way identical ex- 

 cept in its habit to deliver the goods in such a short 

 time. The college people ought to be complimented 

 on the discovery of so valuable a legume." 



Two years after its discovery the annual white 

 sweet clover was being grown in practically every 

 State in the Union and in many foreign countries. 

 This is a record hard to equal as probably no other 

 new plant ever received such wide distribution in 

 such a short time after its introduction, and un- 

 doubtedly few plants have given such uniformly 

 satisfactory results, considering the great variation 

 in the conditions under which this clover has been 

 grown. 



The description of this clover may sound too 

 wonderful to be true, but reports come from all 

 parts of the world confirming these statements. The 

 following report, received from a Kentucky farmer, 

 shows what the annual white sweet clover will do 

 in that State: "This is sure an annual white 

 sweet clover and my opinion is that it will take the 

 lead of the biennial white sweet clover as soon as 



