CHK WILD LEG1 Ml - OF MARYLAND AND Tlliai: UTILIZATION 



<lr\ . sandy or sterile land where other plants would not succeed until 

 the legumes had opened the way. Some like the partridge-pea, rab- 

 r, and hop-clover, often cover the stubble fields with a spon- 

 tane i th in summer and thus add to their fertility. 



OTHER I 



Bush-clovers, the wild true clovers, beggar-ticks, etc., form the 

 most valuable part ^i the wild pasture of the woodlands, and the oc- 

 currence of leguminous weeds in cultivated fields is not to be regretted 

 as much as that of many other plants of less value to the soil. The 

 many leguminous plants, for example, beans and peas, are good 

 food materials: others contain valuable coloring matters and the bark 

 ot many is exceptionally rich in tannin; some are cultivated for 

 ornament. 



1 )ther minor uses will be mentioned under the individual species in 

 the list to follow. 



►SSIBILn LES. 



Man) things remain to be determined regarding the useful quali- 

 »f the wild leguminous plants. The herbage, roots and seed of the 

 different kirn's should he subjected to chemical analysis to determine 

 their varied nitrogen content. They should be examined with reference 

 to the presence of a greater or less amount of nodules on the roots. 

 The omising should be cultivated and improved from year to 



year by selection of the best for different purposes — hay, pastui 

 manuring, seed. etc. Experiments along some of the more important of 

 these lines are in progress at the Maryland Experiment Station. 

 eral kinds are being grown and seed of the most promising kinds, like 

 some of the beggar-ticks, bush-clovers, and partridge peas, have been 

 planted. 



MARYLAND LEGUMINOSAE. 



ir wild leguminous plants are distinguished from other plants, 



by their irregular flowers i usually with ten stamens) which more 

 or le ble those of the pea and bean, although they may be much 



smaller, and often clustered in heads, which may be mistaken \nv a 

 single flower, as in the clover. Exceptions are the cassias, honey lo- 

 cust, and albizzia, which have regular flowers; the last two being ti 

 and the cassias being recognized by the finely divided, pinnal 

 and flat bean-lib 



\ second characteristic of ' Is the compound leaves, with 



three or more I© :h leaf, as in clover, or with many small 



leaflets arranged like the parts of a feather (pinnate) as in the part- 

 ridgi tin- leaf ends in a tendril (as the 



vetches) and. in the lupine th< r but 



five or • iier on the end of the leaf stalk. A peculiar 



swollen joint is seen at the b ach leaf or leaflet by which 



