ALSIKE CLOVER 209 



ditions, since it does not grow so well, relatively, 

 on average upland soils, and because the aftermath 

 is usually light, after the crop has been cut for hay 

 or for seed. Nor is it thought to be relished quite 

 as highly by stock as the medium red clover. Never- 

 theless, domestic animals eat it freely, and under 

 suitable conditions it will furnish for them a con- 

 siderable amount of grazing. This feature has been 

 finely illustrated by an experiment in grazing con- 

 ducted at the Agricultural Experiment Station of 

 Montana, on irrigated land, at Bozeman, in the Gal- 

 latin valley. Full particulars relating to this unique 

 experiment are given in Bulletin No. 31, issued by 

 the afore-mentioned station. In the summer of 

 1900, 1 8 cattle, one and two years old, were pas- 

 tured on 5.04 acres of alsike clover for 102 days, 

 beginning with June 9th. The increase in the 

 weight obtained from the pasture in the time stated 

 was 4560 pounds. This gain was valued at the very 

 moderate price of 4 cents per pound live weight ; 

 hence, the net return per acre for the pasture' for 

 the season was $36.19. It would scarcely be pos- 

 sible under any conditions, howsoever favorable, to 

 obtain such results without irrigation. 



Ordinarily, the results from pasturing alsike clo- 

 ver will be more satisfactory when one or two other 

 plants are grown along with it, as, for instance, 

 medium red clover or medium red clover and or- 

 chard grass, since both of these plants tend to pro- 

 long the period of grazing. In slough lands, red top 

 and timothy add considerably to the value of the 

 grazing. When grazing alsike clover, much more 



