SUMMARY OF ALFALFA SOWING. 495 



lands where manure is not easy to get. The Melilo- 

 tus alba, or white sweet clover, is the strongest 

 growing species and best worth considering. The 

 yellow-blooming sort makes a finer-stemmed hay 

 and might perhaps sell a little better. They are 

 probably of about equal feeding value. 



Melilotus on the Lime Lands of the South. — ^In 

 the lime soils of Mississippi and Alabama melilotus 

 grows spontaneously, although it is not a native. 

 In truth, it is said that it was first brought to the 

 lime lands from Chile, South America. It has now 

 overspread most of the region and is growing on 

 the lime soils. Mixed with Johnson grass, it makes 

 splendid pasture and hay. It is recognized that 

 cattle pastured on these mixed pastures thrive re- 

 markably well. Melilotus sown on worn black lime 

 soils and grown for two years, the last growth 

 turned under, has advanced the yield of corn from 

 18 bushels to 55 bushels per acre. At the present 

 time, curiously enough, melilotiis is little sown on 

 these lands. It is expected to come in of its own 

 accord, if it comes at all. Nor has there been devel- 

 oped a well recognized market for melilotus hay. 

 Instead most farmers on the limy black soils try to 

 grow alfalfa, with varying degrees of success, when 

 they might have absolute success with melilotus. 



Alfalfa on the Lime or Prairie Lands of Alabama 

 and Mississippi. — ^A strip of limestone, soft, white 

 and easily disintegrating, called Selma chalk, ex- 

 tends down the eastern edge of Mississippi, across 

 into Alabama and eastward to a little south of Mont- 



