MANURES AND HUMUS IN SOIL. 171 
I spent hundreds of dollars, but as the land was too poor to take 
in grass to do any good, the labor and seed were lost, as the 
condition of the land grew worse with each season until seven 
years ago, when I took up sweet clover, with the result that to- 
day the land is in fine shape, either being cultivated and produc- 
ing good crops or in fine blue grass sod, and while producing this 
effect the land yielded an abundance of pasture and hay. And 
oh, what a relief to be rid of the sight of those unsightly barren 
and washed hillsides. 
It is a biennial, makes fine pasture the first season and 
abundant crop of pasture, hay or seed the second season. There 
are two varieties—white and yellow—the latter being generally 
preferred for hay, as it does not grow so coarse; it grows from 
two to four feet high, while the white will double this growth 
under same conditions, and makes splendid hay if properly man- 
aged; makes more and later pasture and builds land up much 
quicker. Each is good for all kinds of stock; does not bloat 
cattle or sheep; is one of the best honey plants known. It isa 
leguminous plant, the strongest within our knowledge. When 
once established it requires no further seeding as it reseeds 
itself. After it has once seeded, the land may be cultivated two 
or three years and a good stand follow without reseeding. 
Sown at any season of the year, you are sure to get enough 
to secure a catch by waiting and allowing it to seed and spread, 
but of course it is desirable to get a good stand at once, for which 
I advise sowing from Dec. 1 to March 1, on top of land without 
covering. Or if sown later, say to the first of May, it should be 
harrowed or brushed in. 
It can be sown with small grain of any kind either in spring 
or fall. If sown in early fall it should be covered sufficiently 
deep to prevent germination until spring. Good results are had 
by sowing on stony washed and barren hills during the winter 
months without previous preparation of the land, as the seed 
will be carried down by the frequent freeze and thaw. The seed 
should never be sown on snow or hard frozen ground, as it is 
liable to be carried off by following rains. Good blue grass 
sod can be had in three to four years on this class of land by 
sowing the two seeds together; all grasses do much better grown 
with sweet clover. 
To illustrate the rapidity with which sweet clover is gaining 
favor, I will state that in 1903 I saved one bushel of seed. In 
1904 I saved four bushels of seeds. I wrote articles which were 
published in the county paper, describing its habits and quali- 
ties. I continued to recommend it locally and in 1905 saved 
