87 



Mr. J. Kaserman, a very successful farmer in Franklin county, Ten- 

 nessee, who has sown crimson clover for many years, mentions one dis- 

 advantage of crimson clover hay, for horses especially, in the fact that 

 the chaff causes a dust, which is injurious to horses. He, however, says 

 nothing in reference to the formation of balls in the stomach of horses. 

 Mr. Kaserman also says: "Crimson clover is sown in September or Octo- 

 ber and ihe usual amount of seed sown per acre is about ten pounds. It 

 matures the following May. and ought to be cut for hay when it is in full 

 bloom. The usual yield of hay per acre on good soil is from one to one 

 and a half tons. I do not consider it as good as red clover in sustaining 

 stock. If perfectly cured it keeps about as well as red clover hay, but 

 being very sappy it is harder to cure. I do not consider that it has any 

 advantages over red clover, but it is easier to get a stand of crimson 

 clover than of red clover. It is sown alone or with winter oats to be cut 

 together for hay. In this section the yield of seed has been from four to 

 six bushels per acre." 



BUR CLOVER SPOTTED MEDICK CALIFORNIA CLOVER. 



( Medicago maculata. ) ( Grazing. ) 



Bur clover is admirably adapted to lowlands that are well drained. 

 Sown in connection with Bermuda grass it is a great desideratum, inas- 

 much as it makes its principal growth during winter months and dis- 

 appears just about the time Bermuda grass begins to grow. Both to- 

 gether make a continuous pasture for cattle and hogs. Horses, however, 

 do not relish it. It is unfit for growing in any place where Bermuda 

 grass will not thrive. In some of the lands on the Mississippi River 

 it would be a valuable addition to the pasture plants. It is an annual and 

 so must be sown every year, but is hardly so valuable as the crimson 

 clover, because it will only grow on very rich soils and is not relished by 

 all kinds of stock. It is worthless for hay. 



ALSIKE CLOVER (Trifolium hybridum.} (Hay and Pasture.) 



Linnaeus gave the specific name of hybridum to this clover because 

 he imagined it to be a hybrid of the white and red clover as in its ap- 

 pearance it seems to be intermediate between the two. It is a perennial, 

 has a slenderer stalk, a narrower leaf and paler colored flowers and foliage 

 than red clover. The flower stalks are larger, the blossoms more fra- 

 grant and fuller of honey and for this reason it is sometimes sown by bee- 

 keepers for the making of honey. The blooms are faintly tinged with 

 pink when they first open. Afterwards they deepen into a pale red. 

 The seed is kidney shaped and is less than half the size of the seed of red 

 clover. 



It is a good idea to sow the seed with red clover, as, being a peren- 

 nial, the clover will cover the ground when red clover runs its biennial 

 course and alsike clover does not get its full strength until the third year 

 after sowing. It does well also sown with orchard grass, for when sown 

 alone the stems are so weak it is liable to fall and lodge. The sturdy 

 culms of orchard grass will hold it up. It consorts well with herd's grass 

 also. 



