ALSIKE OR SWEDISH CLOVER 651 



given in Fig. 199. The seeds of clover dodder (8, Fig. 199) are 

 considerably smaller than red clover and almost round or oval, 

 with irregular angles on the sides where the seeds have pressed 

 upon each other in their fruit-capsules. They are grey or 

 brown with rough dotted surfaces, and may be mistaken for 

 pieces of dry earth. When pressed with a knife blade, however, 

 they do not crumble as the latter do. 



Small quantities of lucerne, alsike and white clover seeds may 

 be present occasionally, but these impurities are not of much 

 importance. 



Germination Capacity. — This should be 90 to 95 per cent, 

 but in wet years it is somewhat lower. The average number of 

 ' hard seeds ' is about 8 per cent. 



Weight. — The weight of 1000 seeds varies between I'l and 

 2"! grams; all samples above 2 grams are of exceptionally good 

 quality; those equalling from I'S to 2 grams are very good, any 

 samples which only reach 1.5 grams per 1000 seeds are poor 

 and contain many shrivelled and weakly-developed embryos. A 

 bushel weiglis 65 lbs. 



Alsike or Swedish Clover {Trifoliiim hybridum L.). 



Form and Size. — The seeds of alsike are heart-shaped, the 

 radicle jutting out prominently and reaching more than half the 

 length of the seed (Fig. 200). Good samples should ^^gfe, 

 be plump ; in size they are smaller than red clover, the iPo,M 

 length from the base of the radicle to the tip of the %^^y^ 

 cotyledon being from i to 1.3 mm., the breadth p. ^^_ 

 across the cotyledon and radicle nearly the same, SeedofAUik= 

 and thickness about | to i mm. 



Colour and Brightness. — The colour is variable ; the best 

 samples have a preponderance of seeds with a dark olive tint 

 marbled with slightly brighter patches. Some are pale sap 

 green flecked with darker spots. Uniformly pale green seeds 

 are also met with in small amount. Only immature samples 

 show a yellowish green tint, and old seeds or those injured by 



