THE LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. 6l 



CRIMSON OR SCARLET CLOVER grows further south than the 

 others, has a long scarlet head and makes an early rapid growth 

 even on poor land. It is a hay plant. In some places it is 

 used as a "catch crop," that is it is grown on land after the 

 removal of grain crops, for a light forage crop or to be plowed 

 under as a green manure. 



LUPINES include a number of little shrubby plants 

 that bear very showy flowers. The plants are apt to be too 

 woody for forage, but sheep readily eat them. Their principal 

 use in this country is for plowing under as green manure, since 

 being leguminous they gather nitrogen from the air. The most 

 common are white, yellow, and blue lupines. 



LUCERNE OR ALFALFA is a plant resembling clover in its 

 growth. It is not strictly a clover, although sometimes called 

 Spanish clover. It is difficult to start upon land, but once well 

 started it is long continued, being a deep-rooted perennial. It 

 has a smaller leaf than clover and a purple head, more open. 

 It is somewhat bushy and sends its roots as deep into the soil 

 as the water level will allow. For this reason it resists drouth. 

 It must be cut early or it will produce a very coarse woody 

 hay. In mild climates it may be cut for hay several tmies 

 during the year. 



THE PEANUT is an annual, growing in warm climates on 

 light soil. Other names for the plant are earth-nut, ground-nut, 

 goober. Though not a nut its pod is somewhat like a nut and 

 it belongs to the pea family. The seeds are very oily, giving 

 an oil used for soap making. 



