FORAGE CROPS 



FORAGE CROPS 



307 



bulblets or tubers that are produced in the axils of 

 the leaves, or from cuttings of the upper part of 

 the root. On a rich loamy soil, the yield of these 

 tubers may exceed fifty bushels per acre. Animals 

 are fond of the herbage, and hogs relish the small 

 tubers that lie on the ground uninjured through 

 moderate winters. In France it is sometimes culti- 

 vated by sowing the bulblets broadcast. The roots 

 are extremely brittle, and being largest below they 

 are difficult and expensive to dig. At present it is 

 seldom grown except as an ornamental vine. 



Chufa (Cyperus esculentus, sometimes known as 

 earth almond). A perennial sedge (family Cyper- 

 aceos) that is frequently a noxious weed in low 

 damp places on southern farms. It produces an 

 abundance of small, cylindrical, underground 

 tubers. The tubers or nuts are much relished by 

 hogs. The hogs are generally turned on the field 

 and allowed to harvest the crop. When cultivated, 

 the nut has a fine flavor if properly dried. 



The crop does best on sandy soil that has been 

 well fertilized. Heavy soils should be avoided. 

 The tubers are planted early in spring, and about 

 two inches deep. The rows are two to four feet 

 apart, and the tubers are set twelve to fifteen 

 inches apart in the row. No cultivation is neces- 

 sary, except that weeds must not be allowed to 

 grow. In October or November the tubers will be 

 ripe, and the hogs may be turned on. The crop is 

 recommended for fattening hogs. 



Colza. An annual variety of Brassica eampestris 

 (the rutabaga species), also called summer rape. 

 It is cultivated especially for oil in Europe. It is 

 unfortunate that in England and many parts of 

 the continent the name coleseed or colza has been 

 applied to rape as a synonymous term. They are 

 perfectly distinct ; the seed produce of colza is 

 much greater, though inferior to rape. The Swedish 

 turnip is a cultivated form of this plant, bearing 

 somewhat the relation to the normal form that 

 kohlrabi does to the cabbage. 



Elliott's Sida (Sida Elliottii). Malvacece. A deep- 

 rooting, malvaceous shrubby plant of some valiie 

 as a dry-land forage. It is rather drought-resistant, 

 but does best on moist land or under irrigation. It 

 will not stand frost. It is a scant grower, reaching 

 only about one foot in height and bearing little 

 foliage, which is against it. Stock like it, and rab- 

 bits are destructive to it. It matures seed, and has 

 been found to volunteer. It has been tested at the 

 California Station. 



Fenugreek {Trigomlla Fcenum-Gr cecum). Legu- 

 minosm. An annual forage and medicinal plant in- 

 troduced from the Mediterranean region. Stems 

 erect, more or less branched, eight to twelve inches 

 or more high ; leaves three -foliol ate ; leaflets 

 smooth, wedge-oblong, obtuse, coarsely toothed 

 above, about one inch long ; flowers one or two in 

 the axils of the leaves, sessile or nearly so, yel- 

 lowish ; pod linear, one and one-half to three inches 

 long, more or less curved, veiny, long-beaked. The 

 seeds have aromatic and stimulant qualities, and 

 are used in veterinary medicine and in patent cat- 

 tle feeds. The pods ripen successively from the 

 bottom of the plant to the top ; this results in the 



shattering of the older pods, making it necessary 

 to harvest the plant while many of the pods are 

 still green. The yield of seed is small. 



Fenugreek is a low grower and cannot be cut 

 to advantage with the mower. It is not a promis- 

 ing crop for soils deficient in lime. It is scarcely 

 worth cultivating for forage, as the yield is small 

 and it is little relished. It endures low temper- 

 atures, but requires an abundance of moisture to 

 make winter growth. In its native home, it is 

 seeded in the spring at the rate of thirteen to six- 

 teen pounds per acre, preferably after rains. 



Furze {Ulex Europceus). Leguminosm. Also called 

 Gorse and Whin. A shrub, native of Great Britain 

 and adjacent parts of Europe, where it is much 

 used as a winter forage, the green sprigs of one 

 year's growth being eaten. Branches dark green, 

 spiny, usually almost leafless ; flowers yellow, pa- 

 pilionaceous, axillary and often crowded at ends 

 of branches. 



The plant is propagated by seed at the rate of 

 twenty-five pounds per acre, or by greenwood out- 

 tings under glass when used as an ornamental. It 

 grows in waste places and rocky hillsides unfavor- 

 able for cultivated crops. It prefers a sandy or 

 gravelly soil and a sunny exposure. The seed comes 

 up sparingly and the plants are usually killed by 

 hot, dry summers. It may furnish some grazing, 

 but is of little value. [Pig. 2608, Cyclo. Hort.] 



Fig. 415. ¥\3.t fia. {Lathyrus sylvestrU) . 



Flat pea (Lathyrus sylvestris). Leguminosm. Fig. 

 415. A tall viny plant, native of Europe, intro- 

 duced about twenty years ago under the name of 

 Lathyrus sylvestris, var. Wagneri. Wagner improved 

 the wild plant by cultivation and recommended it 

 as a very promising new forage plant. The Ex- 



