MISCELLANEOUS PLANTS. 225 



only sand and gravel remained. Moreover, it is a 

 legume, and one which has much power to renovate 

 soils. A plant, therefore, which is possessed of such 

 powers should not be looked upon as worthless. 

 That it is so is the popular idea. It has even been 

 looked upon as a weed, and some countries and 

 states have included sweet clover in the list of pro- 

 scribed noxious weeds. 



But sweet clover has been grown to some 

 extent to provide hay for live stock in the cured 

 form, and also to provide pasture. And it has been 

 grown to furnish food for bees when it is in bloom. 

 It has been grown for all these uses in the south, 

 more particularly in the states of the lower Missis- 

 sippi basin. For providing hay it is not very suit- 

 able, for the reasons, first, that it is woody and 

 coarse in character; second, that it is difficult to 

 cure ; and, third, that it is not much relished by live 

 stock. They do not care to eat it when they can 

 get a sufficiency of other food, as corn, sorghum, 

 or other clovers. As a food for bees it is excellent, 

 and if a part of the plot or field is cut before coming 

 into bloom, the season of bloom will be much pro- 

 longed. It is also sown along the sloping embank- 

 ments and the sides of railway cuttings. The object 

 sought is to prevent these from washing, and it has 

 proved highly serviceable for the purpose. 



Sweet clover has not been much grown for 

 pasture, but for such a use it may yet prove to be of 

 value. When sheep have access to a variety of 

 grasses they will probably pass sweet clover by, even 

 when it is young and tender. But if confined to 

 such a pasture when it first begins to grow they 

 would soon begin to crop it down. To force ani- 

 15 



