10 



acre. If this is plowed under as a green-manure crop rapid improve- 

 ment in the texture and the humus content of the soil will take place. 



The forage value of sweet clover is nearly equal to that of alfalfa. 

 Much depends, however, on the character of the growth. If the plants 

 have an abundance of space in which to grow the stems become too 

 large and woody and are rejected by stock. For hay and green 

 manure a thick stand of slender stemmed plants is the ideal. 



The crop may be utilized as hay, pasture or soiling. Care should 

 be taken not to set the mower too low as the buds for succeeding 

 growths and for the second year are located on the lower branches. 

 Too close pasturing by sheep may bring about a similar result, 

 although hogs do little damage in this respect. 



In order to get the best results from pasturing, the plants should 

 be kept down below one foot in height. This will result in a suc- 

 cession of new tender palatable shoots being produced. Stock seldom 

 bloat on sweet clover. 



Mr. C. S. Frazier, in the* Nebraska Farmer, gives in a concise 

 way an experience which has been duplicated hundreds of times by 

 others : 



Last March the clover appeared, and -by the second week of April the plants 

 were eight inches tall with a dark-green color. Right at this time I had occasion 

 to turn a herd of cattle onto that part of the farm to feed off a field of corn- 

 stalks. This sweet clover field was near the gate where the stock were turned 

 into the field. To my surprise they never stopped to take a smell of the sweet 

 clover at first. However, in a day or two I noticed three of the animals feeding 

 on the clover, and in less than a week the whole herd was doing the same thing. 



From that time on they stayed right on the clover until they had it eaten 

 off close to the ground. I was somewhat concerned as to the safety of the 

 clover and thereafter denied the cattle the right of grazing on that field. After 

 the cattle were taken off, the sweet clover came on and made a heavy crop of 

 seed. At no time during the past dry, hot season did it show any signs of 

 being affected by the unfavorable weather. 



From one to two or more cuttings of hay may be obtained each 

 season. Where the growing season is a long one and irrigation pos- 

 sible, much larger yields may be obtained. A ton and a half to the 

 acre per cutting may be expected. 



On poor lands too much must not be expected of it the first season. 

 Sweet clover will do much to bring back to life the unproductive 

 wheat lands in California. 



BUR-CLOVER 



Bur-clover is well adapted to the coast and where not already 

 abundant may be scattered on hill and pasture land in the autumn 



