298 



FIELD CROP PRODUCTION 



commonly grown there than the hairy vetch, while in 

 this country the reverse is true. 



THE SWEET CLOVERS 



The sweet clovers are natives of Central Asia, and 

 have been cultivated for many centuries in southern 



Europe, where they 



have been used chiefly 

 for bee pasture, and to 

 some extent for forage 

 and green manure. 

 Sweet clover was intro- 

 duced into the United 

 States in colonial days, 

 but was until within 

 recent years, and still 

 is, in some sections of 

 the country to-day, con- 

 sidered a troublesome 

 weed. There are two 

 common species of sweet 

 clover, white sweet clo- 

 ver, Melilotis alba, and 

 yellow sweet clover, 

 Melilotis officinalis. 



300. Description. 

 White sweet clover is 



also known as Bokara clover and Melilotis. In its appear- 

 ance and manner of growth it resembles alfalfa ; in fact, 

 when the plants are young, they can scarcely be told apart. 

 The sweet clover, however, grows taller than alfalfa, the 

 stems sometimes reaching a height of 8 or 10 feet. The 

 stems are coarser and more woody than those of alfalfa, 



FIG. 108. A sweet clover plant. 



