FORAGE CROPS 



FORAGE CROPS 



309 



Mexican clover (Richardsonia scabra). Rubiacece. 

 Known also as Spanish clover, Florida clover, pigeon 

 weed, ipecac weed, water parsley and others. An 

 annual forage plant, native of Mexico and Central 



Fig. 419. Lentil (.Lena eemlenta) . 



America, but naturalized along the gulf coast and 

 occasionally farther north. Stems branching, dif- 

 fuse, two to four feet long, creeping ; leaves nu- 

 merous, oval, rough ; flowers nearly white, in small 

 heads. In its general habit it resembles red clover. 



Mexican clover makes its best growth late in 

 the season and comes into cultivated fields after 

 other crops are removed. It demands a sandy soil 

 for its best growth. The yield of hay may exceed 

 two tons per acre, and is commonly mixed with 

 crab-grass. The hay seems to be succulent, nutri- 

 tious and palatable to most stock, though feeders 

 are not agreed as to its value. It is not adapted 

 for pasturage. Its chief value is as a renovator 

 of sandy soils, and as a covering for the ^ound 

 in late fall and winter, to be plowed under in the 

 spring. 



Modiola (Modiola deeumbens). 

 Malvaceoe. A perennial forage 

 plant introduced from Chile into 

 California. Its value has not 

 been fully determined. It is 

 much liked by stock and seems 

 to increase the flow 

 of milk when fed to 

 dairy cows. A few 

 growers have consid- 

 ered it nearly equal Fig. 420. Partridge pea, 



in value to alfalfa. It has wide adaptability to 

 soils, withstanding alkali, and thriving on either 

 moist or dry lands. It grows readily from either 

 seeds or the nodes on the prostrate stems. 



Partridge pea, Sensitive pea, Magothy Bay 

 heaa {Cassia Ghamcecrista). Leguminosx. Fig. 420. 

 A native stout herb with showy yellow purple- 

 spotted flowers, highly recommended in colonial 

 times in Maryland and Virginia for green-manuring 

 [see page 106]. So far as known to the writers it 

 was not used directly as forage, but only to prepare 

 land for forage and other crops. It is one of the 

 plants called "sheep-kill," said to be very purgative 

 to sheep. The practice was to plant the partridge 

 pea with oats in spring, using about one pint of the 

 seed to one bushel of oats. After the harvesting of 

 the oats, the partridge peas grew to maturity and 

 produced a large crop of seed. The next year 

 this land was put in corn. The cultivation of the 

 corn resulted in destroying large numbers of the 

 seedlings, but a sufficient quantity of them came 

 on after the last cultivation of the corn to produce 

 a satisfactory stand. The opinion was general 

 that, with a rotation of oats or rye and corn, it 

 was very advantageous to grow the partridge peas, 

 especially as having once been seeded they per- 

 sist for many years without re-seeding. To a very 

 slight extent the plant is still used in this way, 

 but owing to the enormous superiority of the 

 cowpea this use has been practically abandoned. 

 [See Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc. Ill, p. 226 (1793). 

 Magothy bay is in Maryland on Chesapeake bay.] 



Prickly comf rey {Symphytum asperrimum.) Bor- 

 raginaeem. Fig. 421. A perennial forage plant ; 

 stem erect, two to four feet : leaves dark rich 

 green, long and narrow, abundant, rough, mucil- 

 aginous ; flowers purple, in nodding, one-sided clus- 

 ters. It has given greatest success in New York, 

 Michigan and Florida, in the latter state on waste 

 lands. It is now rarely grown in this country. It 

 is said to be much grown in Europe. If cut and 

 fed in the green state, the leaves and stalks make 

 valuable forage. Stock must be trained to like it, 

 as it is somewhat unpalatable. It is used for soil- 

 ing, but is not to be pastured and does not make 

 good hay. Prickly comfrey produces an abundance 

 ■^s. I of seeds, but is nearly always 



>^£-^ propagated by cuttings of the 



^Siral, fleshy roots. The planting dis- 



tance varies from eighteen to 

 thirty-six inches each way. As 

 the plants attain a large size, 

 the greater distance is prefera- 

 ble. A light sandy soil is best; 

 several cuttings may be had each 

 year. 

 Russian thistle {Salsola Tra- 

 gus). Chenopodiaeeoe. 

 Pig. 422. Introduced 

 from northern Eu- 

 rope into the north- 

 western United States 

 by Russian immi- 

 grants about thirty 



An old-time rotation plant. years ago. For a 



