412 THE CLOVERS 



southern States. The second year it starts growth very early and 

 grows with great vigor, reaching full height in about two months, 

 or the first part of July in the northern States. If cut down for 

 hay at this time, it will at once produce a second crop. In the 

 southern States it may be cut three times during the season, but 

 care should be taken not to cut the stubble too close, as the new stalks 

 sprout from above ground. 



Seed and Seeding. The seed is produced very abundantly. It 

 is usually the custom to cut the first crop for hay or pasture it down 

 till about July first and take the second crop for seed. The seed 

 shatters off very easily as it ripens, and it is generally necessary to 

 cut the seed crop and handle it during damp weather or while the 

 dew is on in the morning. 



In nature the seed usually falls upon the ground in the seed 

 pod, and remains till the following spring before germinating. 

 Usually a high per cent of the seeds are classed as hard seeds ; from 

 forty to sixty per cent generally remain dormant during the first year. 

 This quality makes sweet clover quite permanent under natural con- 

 ditions, as there is usually some seed in the soil to germinate, even 

 when one or two crops are completely destroyed. In the United 

 States the seed is usually not free from the pod, but much of the 

 European seed is recleaned and free from pod. In appearance the 

 seed very much resembles alfalfa and is sometimes used to adulterate 

 alfalfa.' 



In sowing sweet clover, it is most commonly sown either in the 

 fall or early spring with wheat or rye. Much of the commercial 

 seed on the market is of poor quality, probably due to the irregular 

 demand and the seed stock becoming old and worthless. In some 

 cases, however, the per cent of hard seed is so large that a poor stand 

 will be secured the first year. For these reasons it is usually best to 

 make a germination test of sweet clover seed before sowing. 



Adaptation. While sweet clover is very cold-resistant, seldom 

 winter-killing even where red clover will succumb, it is also well 

 adapted to southern climates. In fact, it is cultivated most ex- 

 tensively at present in Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky. Sweet 

 clover naturally prefers a soil well supplied with lime, being about 

 in the same class in this respect as red clover or alfalfa. It is 



