FORAGE PLANTS OF THE FAMILY LEGUMINOS^ 1 97 



and obtuse. Ten diadelphous stamens occur and the ovary is superior 

 with a thread-like style. The pods are globose, small and one-seeded. 

 The first season it makes a growth of eighteen to thirty inches in height 

 and stores in the tap-root a considerable amount of reserve food. During 

 the second season, it makes a growth of five to twelve feet and dies when 

 the seeds are mature. 



Distribution and Soils. The sweet clover, also known as Bokhara 

 clover, is a native of central Asia introduced about two thousand years 

 ago into the Mediterranean region, where it has been utilized as a honey 

 plant and for forage purposes. It was introduced into America as early 

 as 1738, but its value was not recognized until about twenty years ago. 

 It is at present grown extensively as a field crop in Alabama, Mississippi, 

 Kentucky and Utah and locally on a field scale in Nebraska, Colorado, 

 Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. About Phila- 

 delphia, it is thoroughly naturalized. It is an indicator of good alfalfa 

 soils, for where sweet clover grows, alfalfa will grow, and as it is spread 

 over all parts of the United States, this test is of general applicability 

 through the length and breadth of our land. Almost any reasonable 

 well-drained soil will grow sweet clover. It is more tolerant of poor 

 draining than either alfalfa, or red clover. It makes its best growth on 

 rich, well-limed soils. 



Seeding. The seed bed should be well compacted with enough loose 

 soil on top to cover the seeds which are sown at the rate of twenty to 

 thirty pounds of hulled seeds and at least five pounds more of unhulled 

 seed per acre. Early spring seeding has been found satisfactory in many 

 sections. When sown in ordinary cultivated fields, sweet clover is usu- 

 ally sown later in the spring and with a nurse crop of spring-sown grain. 

 Fall seeding is successful in regions with mild winters. Where seeded 

 in the spring without a nurse crop, no special treatment is required the 

 first season unless it is necessary to check the weeds. When seeded with 

 a nurse crop, such a crop may be cut for grain, if the moisture conditions 

 are favorable, but if a drought threatens the sweet-clover, the crop should 

 be cut for hay. A good hay crop, or summer pasture, may be obtained 

 in the south in the first season even when sown with a nurse crop, but in 

 the north a small amount of late pasture only is usually available. 



Pasturage and Hay. Sweet clover produces good pasturage very 

 early in the spring before other pasture plants commence growth. It 

 will furnish a good hay crop in the north in the latter part of June and a 



