8 LEAFLET 10 0, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



comprehensive feeding trials have been made. It is known that 

 cattle, sheep, horses, and mules eat the hay, but its relative feeding 

 value as compared with alfalfa has not been determined. 



Lespedeza sericea can be grazed. Sheep seem to be especially fond 

 of it, so much so that probably it cannot be established under grazing 

 by sheep. There has not been enough experience with the grazing 

 of this plant to warrant a statement of the number of animals that 

 may be carried per acre. 



Lespedeza sericea is a heavy seeder. When planted in rows and 

 cultivated, from 200 to 1,000 pounds of seed per acre have been 

 harvested the first year. When the seed is ripe the plants may be 

 cut with a mower, preferably one having a swathing attachment 

 so that the cut plants are deposited out of the way of the teams 

 on the next round. If they are trampled on, much seed will be lost. 

 The material is readily cured and the seed easily threshed with a 

 grain separator. After being threshed, the seed should be hulled 

 and scarified. If a clover huller of the rasp type is available, this 

 will thresh, hull, and scarify in one operation. 



Being a perennial, Lespedeza sericea is limited in its range north- 

 ward by the degree of cold it can endure. This is not yet known and 

 may not be for several years. It has survived 2 years in southern 

 Michigan, but the winters were relatively mild. It is quite certain 

 that it will not produce a profitable or certain seed crop much north 

 of the Ohio Kiver. The plants blossom late, and a frost during 

 the first half of October is quite likely to destroy or severely cut 

 the seed crop. At Corvallis, Oreg., it has not seeded in 3 years. 



When well established, this lespedeza will endure a great deal 

 of drought, but possibly no more than sweetclover. In western Kan- 

 sas it has not given promise of value in comparison with alfalfa 

 or sweetclover. 



From the limited information available, it appears that the great- 

 est and most certain field of usefulness of this plant will be south 

 of the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and west to eastern Kansas and 

 Texas. How much farther it will be useful cannot be predicted 

 at present. 



Lespedeza sericea was distributed under three numbers, F.C. nos. 

 12087, 17291. and 04730. Of these, 12087 and 17291 are of identical 

 origin, though some observers claim that the latter is somewhat 

 finer stemmed. No. 04730 is a week or 10 days earlier in maturing 

 seed and grows a few inches taller. The height varies so greatly 

 with soil and moisture conditions, however, that it would be impos- 

 sible to tell from any one field which variety is being grown. For 

 hay or grazing all varieties probably have equal value, since the 

 fineness of the hay depends on early cutting rather than on any sup- 

 posed difference in the fineness of the stems. 



U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1933 



For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C. ------ Price 5 cents 



