SERICEA AND OTHER PERENNIAL LESPEDEZAS 41 



(3) Sericea, one hay crop plus one seed crop, oats seeded. 



(4) Oats for hay, followed by June-planted grain sorghum in rows. 

 Oats are sown in sorghum row middles to repeat the rotation. 



In this rotation, one or more forage crop harvests are made each 

 year. 



After a stand is secured, sericea needs regular fertilization. 

 Annual applications of 300 pounds per acre of 0-14-10 or twice 

 this rate every two years have maintained productive stands for 

 10 years or longer. Care must be taken not to cut too often if 

 it is desired to maintain a vigorous growth. Sericea stands de- 

 teriorate seriously in the Southeast in a few years' time unless 

 adequately fertilized. 



One marked advantage of sericea as a hay plant is that the 

 crop can be harvested earlier than any other crop suited to poor 

 soils. A farmer finding himself out of other feed in spring has 

 but to cut his sericea, which is ready early. It is also an excellent 

 emergency crop in an extremely dry season, when it may produce 

 the only feed available. 



Sericea may be useful on steep banks and critical slopes and in 

 stabilizing terraces (fig. 15). It is sometimes planted above a 

 terrace channel so as to sift out the soil carried from a higher 

 cultivated strip. This tends to keep the channel from silting. 



Figure 15. — Sericea stabilizes terraces in Alabama. 



Sericea is being successfully used in meadow outlets. It is 

 best to divert the water from these outlets during the seeding 

 year, but when the cover is established it may be expected to 

 last for many years and to carry whatever water passes through 

 the outlet without danger of cutting. Sericea may be used where 

 a permanent strip is desired in a cultivated field. Such a strip 



