ALSIKE CLOVER. 143 



It does not stand the long dry summers of our latitude 

 well, but seems to like cool, moist regions. 



A Michigan correspondent of the Western Ruralj who 

 appears to have had much experience with it, says : 



Alsike Clover is not adapted to light sandy, or sandy and gravelly 

 soils, with porous or leacby subsoils. With good clay subsoil, it suc- 

 ceeds better. But it luxuriates in rich, thoroughly worked clay loani 

 soils, rich bottom lands, prairie, and all marsh or swamp lands where 

 they can be plowed so as to kill the wild grasses. Flowering through 

 winter and spring does not injure it. Here it will accept the situation 

 and display its magnificent products on the scale of five tons of finely 

 cured hay to the acre. But mark ! deeply stirred, rich, moist land, 

 underdrained or subsoiled, or both, will only produce this burden. The 

 chemical action of plaster is strikingly manifest on this plant. Blos- 

 soms are developed mo e or less when the plant is from eight to ten 

 inches in height ; and when three and a half feet, it is a perfect sea of 

 bioom. 



Millions of dollars may be added to the wealth of this country, es- 

 pecially the West, in a few years by sowing one acre this year, and 

 gradually extending its area. For soiling cows, horses, etc., when pas- 

 tures fail, it is equal or superior to green corn, and attended with much 

 less trouble in the gathering and feeding. During the past year, I cut 

 three crops from the same ground, standing at the first cutting from 

 two to three feet in height ; last cutting, one foot in height, as thick as it 

 could staod, small delicate stalks, with numerous branches, and per- 

 fectly glorified with a mass of small peach-blow colored blossoms, fill- 

 ing the air with the most delightful and exhilarating perfume, and 

 swarming with bees every fair day. The root is like red clover, but 

 longer and more fibrous. The haulm is small, tender and nutritious ; 

 when well cured as it should be, in full bloom, every spear will be 

 eaten with avidity by all kinds of stock. 



There is no plant known that will produce so much good honey, but- 

 ter, cheese, beef, mutton, wool and hay per acre, as this plant, not 

 even excepting cor . In using the latter for soiling, you get only the 

 haulm, while in the Alsike you get the haulm and a large yield of 

 honey ; and if the ground is prepared as well by deep tilth, manure, 

 and plaster, or other fertilizers, as for corn you will get as much by 

 weight of the haulm. 



It bears feeding to an enormous degree. ' I think its fattening quali- 

 ties superior to the famous blue grass of Kentucky ; and as it will 

 flourish well on such soils as I have designated, from the Gulf to Lake 

 Superior, farmers can easily divine its immense advantage to their pock- 



