OHIO EXPERIMENT STATION: BULLETIN 175. 



Fig. 33. Sweet 



not grow to any extent in soils of good tilth. Its appearance may indicate a 

 soil well adapted toother forage plants like alfalfa, Sweet clover is accord- 

 ingly an indication of a soil condition which it is, at the same time, the very 

 best plant to bring- about. Where an abandoned brickyard or 

 old roadway is to be brought into cultivation, sweet clover is 

 recommended for that purpose. It is one of the valuable forage 

 plants in some parts of the south. And while the stock need to 

 learn to eat it, the objections disappear on drying the hay. For 

 this purpose the white one is to be preferred and it should be cut 

 rather early, before the blossoms appear and before the stems 

 have become too woody. It also makes most excellent mulch or 

 material for composting when cut early and may have value as 

 a cover crop . 



Seeds like those of red clover but smaller and flatter. Plants 

 may be destroyed by repeated mowing or by cultivation, as well 

 as others of this class. 



175 Rabbit=foot, Stone Clover (A) *Ttifolium arvense L. 

 This is a low, branching clover, five to ten inches high, with 

 Clover. soft, silky, grayish heads, hence the name. It is becoming intro- 



fer^i spaug .) duce(i ^ nto f[ e \^ s an d by waysides. 



176 Yellow Clover, Hop=clover (A) *Trifolium aureum Poll. Yellow 

 clover is a somewhat upright clover about one foot high, with spherical, yellow 

 heads, turning brown with age. This and a smaller one, low hop-clover, are 

 occasionally found; mentioned here for purposes of identification. 



177 Axseed, Axwort (P) * Coronilla vatia L. Escaped from cultivation in 

 Brown county, at least. Has the characteristic leaves of the family, and dense 

 clusters of white and pink flowers. May be destroyed by frequent hoe cutting. 



178 Axseed (P) *Coronilla scorpioides Koch. Seeds of this are an impurity 

 in alfalfa seed. These seeds are reddish brown, elongated 1-5 to 1-6 inch long, 

 and slender. See seed cuts. 



179 Sticktights, Tick= trefoil (P) Meibomia canescens (L.)Kuntze This is 

 a branched, hairy plant with egg-shaped, bean-like leaves and terminal, rough 

 pods, narrowed at the joints. These pods are very adhesive and readily break 

 apart, sticking to clothing or to animals as flat, four to five sided sticktights. 

 It is a common weed in rather low grounds. 



The seeds rarely separate from the joints; they are lenticular, kidney-form, 

 about 3-16 inch long. Frequent mowing or hoe cutting will kill out these stick- 

 tights or they may be destroyed by cultivation. 



180 Tick=trefoil (P) Meibomia Dillenii (Darl.) Kuntze. This tick-trefoil 

 is a smaller plant than the preceding, frequently found in dry soils. The leaves 

 are smooth and the plant dark green. It is less troublesome than No. 179 

 and can be controlled in the same manner. Other species of this genus may 

 be troublesome, resembling the one or the other sort named. 



181 Bush Clover (P) Lespedeza violacea (L. ) Pcrs. It is also frequent in 

 dry, somewhat sterile soil, similar to that producing ciuquefoil. It has pea- 

 like violet blossoms, crowded together at the tips of the stems. It is smothered 

 by fertilizing and cultivation. The other species are similar to this one. 



182 Common Vetch, Tare (A) * Vicia sativa L. This weed very strongly 

 resembles the pea, but has narrow, somewhat tapering, blunt pointed leaves aud 

 blue flowers. Not frequent as a weed, but occasionally found in grain fields 

 and waste places. If prevented from seeding it may be killed out in time. 



183 Hairy Vetch (A) * Vicia hiisuta (L.) Koch. The hairy vetch is useful 

 as a forage plant, whence it escapes and its spherical, dark seeds are a frequent 

 impurity in oats. 



