CLOVER 



CLOVER 



239 



red clover should be mixed with some sort of grass, 

 since it is too nitrogenous to be relished alone. 

 Much better results are secured when the animals 

 grazing on it can find grasses with which to vary 

 their diet. For this purpose, timothy is often sown 

 with clover, and awnless brome-grass {Bromus 

 inermis) is excellent for the purpose; or the animals 

 may be given access to a field of grasses. There 

 will be very much less bloating when the pastures 

 are mixed. 



If a mixture of salt and air-slaked lime is kept 

 where the animals may find it, there will be less 

 bloating. When animals become accustomed to 

 grazing on clover they should be permitted to re- 

 main constantly there, as the risk is less than if 

 they are taken off and put back at intervals. 



Clover for soiling. — Very much better results are 

 secured in soiling clovers than in pasturing them. 

 They may be cut when in bloom, or before, and 

 hauled to the animals. Several times as much for- 

 age will then be secured from a given area as 

 though the animals ran on the ground and wasted 

 and trod down a large part. Here, also, the pre- 

 caution of feeding complementary feeds with the 

 clovers, to counterbalance the excess protein, must 

 be observed. 



Bringing clover in old pastures. — If on old pas- 

 tures, fertilizers rich in lime and phosphorus, such 

 as basic slag, with potash if the soil needs it, are 

 used, and no clover seed sown, there will frequently 

 come a decided sprinkling of clovers of the sort 

 that have become natural to the field, and they will 

 grow with extraordinary vigor. On an adjoining 

 field, should one sow nitrate of soda, he will observe 

 the disappearance of the clovers and the rioting of 

 grasses. 



Clover for silage. — For silage, clovers should be 

 cut when full of sap and be put in the silo with no 

 waste of time. They should be in full bloom. In 

 general, corn pays best in the silo, the clover in 

 hay being held to feed with it. 



Mammoth clover. 



This is a form of red clover. It is rather more 

 persistent, much coarser, more productive and 

 makes a coarser hay not so much relished by stock. 

 It is better than common red clover for enriching 

 soils, but is inferior to it as a hay plant. 



Alsike clover. 



On certain soils, rather inclined to wetness, alsike 

 clover thrives better than the red clover, and is an 

 excellent forage and bee pasture. It may be seeded 

 and treated as has been directed for red clover. 



Crimson clover. 



This is the "trifolium" of Great Britain. It is 

 an annual, sown in the fall, which blooms, makes 

 seed and dies the following summer. It is most 

 often employed as a catch-crop, after maize or 

 vegetables. Crimson clover thrives in a warm, 

 sandy soil and in regions south of the Ohio river, 

 though it is used to some extent north of that line. 

 It makes good pasturage and fair hay, though it is 

 said to be dangerous to horses owing to the hairs 



on the seed-stems. It is often used as a soiling 

 crop. It enriches soils remarkably, and when 

 adapted to the soil and climate is of great value. 

 It well repays fertilizing with phosphorus and 

 potassium. Crimson clover is especially well adapted 

 to the south Atlantic seaboard. 



White clover. 



This is a small perennial plant, with creeping 

 stems rooting at the joints. It comes naturally in 

 pastures and along roadsides, especially where 







-%^' 



Fig. 343. Loading crimson clover in the South. 



there is lime in the soil. It makes good bee pas- 

 ture, and is liked by all animals. When in seed it 

 sometimes salivates horses, making them to " slob- 

 ber." It is exceedingly nutritious. It should be 

 sown in all mixtures for permanent pastures. The 

 seed being very small, no more than two to four 

 pounds per acre need be sown. It does well with 

 most grasses, enriching the soil, giving place to 

 them when they are vigorous, but reappearing 

 again when they are subdued. It is_ usually too 

 short for hay. All animals relish it, and it is very 

 fattening except in unusually cold, wet seasons. 



COFFEE AND COFFEE-GROWING, with Special 

 Reference to Porto Rico and Hawaii {Coffea Ara- 

 biea, Linn., and C. Liberica, Hiern). Bubiacem. 

 Figs. 344-353. 



By /. W. Van Leenhoff. 



Coffee-growing is essentially a tropical industry. 

 It is of vast proportions. The annual production 

 in the world exceeds 1,500,000,000 pounds. Within 

 recent years there has been over-planting and over- 

 production, with a consequent falling in price that 

 has practically stamped out the industry in parts 

 of the Hawaiian islands and elsewhere. Africa, 

 Arabia, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Central Amer- 

 ica, Ceylon, Hawaiian islands, Java, Mexico, Porto 

 Rico, all grow considerable coffee, Brazil alone 

 producing nearly three-fourths of the world's sup- 

 ply. The two species, Coffea Arabica and C. Liberica, 

 furnish most of the commercial product. [For a 

 botanical discussion of species, see Coffea, Cyclo- 

 pedia of American Horticulture.] 



In order to show the extent to which the industry 

 has grown, the following table of production and 

 consumption is given. It was prepared by Stein- 

 wender, Stoffregen & Co., New York City, on Janu- 

 ary, 1, 1907, 



