SWEET CLOVER: UTILIZATION; 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

 General statement of the uses of sweet clover. . 3 



Sweet clover as a pastui e crop 4 



Sweet-clover hay 10 



Sweet clover as a silage crop 20 



Sweet clover as a soiling crop 22 



Page. 



Sweet clover as a feed 23 



Sweet clover as a soil-improving crop 28 



Sweet clover in rotations 31 



Sweet clover as a honey plant 32 



GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE USES OF SWEET CLOVER. 



The utilization of sweet clover as a feed for all classes of live stock 

 has increased rapidly in many parts of the country, owing primarily 

 to the excellent results obtained by many farmers who have used 

 this plant for pasturage or hay. and also to the fact that feeding and 

 digestion experiments conducted by agricultural experiment sta- 

 tions show that it is practically equal to alfalfa and red clover as 

 P. feed. 



As a pasture plant, sweet clover is superior to red clover, and pos- 

 sibly alfalfa, as it seldom causes bloat, will grow on poor soils, and is 

 drought resistant. The favorable results obtained from the utiliza- 

 tion of this crop for pasturage have done much to promote its cul- 

 ture in many parts of the United States. On account of the succu- 

 lent, somewhat stemmy growth of the first crop the second year, diffi- 

 culty is often experienced in curing the hay in humid sections, as it 

 is necessary to cut it at a time when weather conditions are likely to 

 be unfavorable. When properly cured the hay is relished by stock. 



At the present time sweet clover is used to only a limited extent 

 for silage, but its use for this purpose should increase rapidly, as the 

 results thus far obtained have been very satisfactory. 



In addition to the value of sweet clover as a feed, it is one of the 

 best soil-improving crops adapted to short rotations which can be 

 grown. When cut for hay, the stubble and roots remain in the soil, 

 and when pastured, the uneaten parts of the plants, as well as the 

 manure made while animals are on pasture, are added to the soil and 

 benefit the succeeding crops. In addition to humus, sweet clover, in 

 common with all legumes, adds nitrogen to the soil. This crop is 

 grown in many sections of the country primarily to improve soils, and 



1 The growing of this crop has been discussed in a previous publication, Farmers' 

 Bulletin 797, entitled " Sweet Clover : Growing the Crop," 



3 



