162 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



rapid growth during the late season and starts early 

 in spring. 



It is easily established if sown in late July or 

 August. It will not endure heat so is of no use 

 sown in the spring. It grows during cool weather. 

 On the other hand it will not endure extremely 

 cold weather, and is usually killed by repeated freez- 

 ing and thawing of spring in the region of the corn- 

 belt. It is especially at home in Maryland, Dela^ 

 ware, New Jersey, Virginia, and in fact all along 

 the Atlantic seaboard. There it is an admirable 

 catch crop and forerunner of alfalfa when one is 

 desirous of bringing in large areas to meadow with 

 least possible delay. 



Eoberts shows that the fall growth of crimson 

 clover in New York, taken on Nov. 2, yielded as 

 much as 155 lbs. of nitrogen per acre and doubt- 

 less the spring growth would have yielded in ad- 

 dition even a greater amount had not the plants 

 killed out during the freezes of spring. Nitrogen is 

 difficult to buy for less than 15 cents per pound and 

 often costs much more, so it is clear that the crim- 

 son clover had done a lot of w^ork at nitrogen-gath- 

 ering very economically indeed. 



Using Crimson Clover. — A good way to use crim- 

 son clover is to sow it in the corn at last working, 

 or to disk up an oat or wheat stubble and sow it 

 there. The latter way will give sure results. Use 

 phosphorus in some form to stimulate the crimson 

 clover, since the better it thrives the more it will 

 do for you and all will be kept in the soil for the 



