224 SOILING CROPS AND THE SILO. 



in a broad two edged shaped beak. The seeds are 

 larger than those of black mustard and are white 

 externally. 



The Lupine. — The lupine is of many species 

 and is native to both the old and new worlds. Some 

 of the sorts are domesticated, others of them still 

 grow wild. The white lupine (Lupinus albus) is 

 probably the most valuable among the cultivated 

 species. It is an annual. The lupine derives its 

 name from lupus, a wolf, and because of its vora- 

 cious qualities. The long tap roots of the white 

 lupine go down deeply into the soil and there they 

 gather plant food, much of which is deposited in 

 the surface soil. It also produces a very consider- 

 able quantity of vegetable matter the decay of which 

 adds fertility to the soil. 



The cultivation of the white lupine in Portu- 

 gal has been the means of restoring vast tracts of 

 worn out soils. It has also been much grown in 

 Germany to increase the producing power of 

 sandy tracts low in fertility. In Italy, Sicily and 

 other Mediterranean countries it is extensively cul- 

 tivated for forage, as green manure and also for 

 the seeds. 



The attempts made by the author to grow the 

 lupine at the Minnesota University Experiment 

 station have not been successful. The plants 

 made but little growth, and yet it is almost certain 

 that there are extensive areas in the United 

 States in which the growth of the lupine would 

 be eminently successful and helpful to the cause 

 of agriculture. These can only be determined by 

 experiment. 



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