48 BULLETIN 1244, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



In the past few years much attention has been directed to sweet 

 clover as a dry-land pasture and hay crop. It is a valuable forage 

 plant; but, like alfalfa, its acreage on the farm will be confined very 

 largely to situations having the most favorable moisture conditions. 

 Some success has been had from stacking freshly cut sweet clover in 

 large well-compacted stacks. Under such conditions it is possible to 

 make good silage from it with comparatively little waste. If this 

 method can be perfected to the point where it can be depended upon, 

 it- may replace to a considerable extent the making of sweet-clover 

 hay, which in most cases contains a large proportion of hard, tough 

 stems not relished by stock. In curing and handling sweet-clover 

 hay it is a very difficult matter to preserve the leaves, but these can 

 be saved by stacking green. On the other hand, the stacking of the 

 freshly cut crop involves much hard labor. As a crop for the regular 

 silo, sweet clover will probably never be generally used, since it does 

 not produce a sufficiently heavy tonnage. Neither will it be used to 

 a very large extent as a pasture crop on dry-land farms in the north- 

 ern Great Plains, since the favorable locations suitable for it will be 

 needed for the production of hay and fodder. 



There are no annual legumes that can be depended upon to help 

 materially in solving the problem of producing hay or fodder for the 

 driest sections of the region. Field peas will make fairly good yields 

 of grain or hay either alone or with oats in the northern part of the 

 region or at the higher altitudes in good average seasons; but they 

 will not withstand much hot weather or much drought. This limits 

 very appreciably the range of their profitable use. Furthermore, the 

 cost of seed per acre is greater than for the other common annual 

 forage plants. 



The enthusiasm for soy beans which is now so manifest in the Corn 

 Belt has extended in a small measure to the eastern part of the 

 northern Great Plains. The recently acquired early-maturing va- 

 rieties have assisted in creating an interest in soy beans, particularly 

 for mixing with corn for silage. None of the varieties so far available 

 will produce attractive yields of grain or forage in most of the region. 

 Redneld appears to be about the northern as well as the western 

 limit of soy bean culture. 



Little help may be expected from the cultivated perennial grasses 

 in the drier parts of the region. Some hope was entertained for practi- 

 cal results from growing certain of the perennial grasses in cultivated 

 rows, but this method of culture has not proved feasible. Awnless 

 brome grass (Bromus inermis L.) is in use to some extent, but as a 

 hay grass it falls short of making a profitable yield. As a pasture 

 plant it is not sufficiently superior to the native pasture grasses to 

 warrant its use, except in favorable locations on land that has been 

 tilled. Slender wheat grass (Agropyron tenerum L.) is one of the few 

 native American grasses that have been actually brought into culti- 

 vation. Its cultivation in this country is confined almost exclusively 

 to the Dakotas. The total area, of this species grown under cultiva- 

 tion is so small as to be almost negligible. Crested wheat grass 

 (Agropyron cristatum L.). a. close relative of slender wheat grass, was 

 introcfuced by the Department of Agriculture from Siberia several 

 years ago and is attracting souk 1 attention as a hay grass, and it is 

 possible that it will ultimately become established as a hay grass in a 

 limited way. From this time forward it will be given abundant oppor- 

 tunity to demonstrate its real merits. 



