332 CHAPTER XX 



KUDZU VINE {Pueraria thiinbergiana). 



A perennial legume indigenous to Japan. It has large 

 leaves with very woody older vines. The purple-red flowers 

 are borne in racemes. The pods are covered with short brown 

 hairs containing numerous speckled seeds. In South Africa 

 it is only now being tried as a field crop, although it has been 

 used as an ornamental plant for some years. The vines will 

 attain a length of 60 feet, and it seems to be drought-resistant 

 and to do well even on the poorest of soils, although clay loams 

 are preferred. 



The growth from seedlings is slow, and, moreover, the seed 

 germinates very poorly under ordinary treatment. It is best 

 propagated by roots, obtained from the prostrate vines which 

 root at their joints. These should be planted 9 feet by 9 feet. 

 Heavy crops are obtained only in the third season. The leaves 

 are extremely persistent and little loss is experienced in hay- 

 making, although harvesting is difficult. Its function would 

 seem to lie in grazing, where it can be employed in fields not 

 suitable for other crops. 



THE CLOVEES. 



Various species oiTrifolium have been tried privately and at 

 all the experimental stations in South Africa with very meagre 

 success. Species belonging to the genus Melilotus, however, 

 grow very well, but have not as yet become popular. Generally 

 the climate in South Africa is unsuited to the clovers, and in 

 parts where the climate is not wholly unfavourable the absence 

 of the specific nodular organisms seems to be the factor limit- 

 ing their growth, since in one or two localities in the Western 

 Province, where persistence has been shown in soil inoculation, 

 successful stands have been obtained. 



Bed Clover {Trifolium pratense). — Its value in the northern 

 hemisphere is indicated by Piper, who says : " Ked Clover is 

 the most important of all leguminous forage crops, both on 

 account of its high value as feed and from the fact that it can 

 be so well employed in rotations." In North America five 

 times as much Pod Clover is grown as lucerne ; in fact it forms 

 the basis of farming in many countries in Europe and North 

 America, and is also extensively grown in Chili and New 

 Zealand. Eed Clover is mainly biennial. In contrast to 

 lucerne, the primary root contracts as it grows older, resulting 

 in a deep-set crown. The stems spring from buds in the crown 



