CRIMSON CLOVER 5 



in or south of the Corn Belt usually results in a short, stunted growth 

 followed by meager blossoming and an unprofitable yield. 



Inoculation 



In many parts of the crimson clover region it is not necessary to 

 inoculate the seed; but if clover has not been successfully grown on a 

 soil, inoculation of the seed is good insurance. If the plants are not 

 inoculated they will develop slowly, become yellow, and die. Inocu- 

 lated plants are able to obtain about two-thirds of their nitrogen from 

 the air through their root nodules. The plants may be artificially 

 inoculated^ by applying pure cultures of the bacteria to the seed or 

 by scattering soil from a field where inoculated crimson clover has 

 been grown. Two hundred to three hundred pounds per acre of such 

 soil evenly distributed at seeding time is sufficient. 



Figure 3.— Effect of phosphate application on good soil: Treated (left); untreated (right). 



Unhulled Seed 



The use of unhulled seed offers the distinct advantage of increasing 

 the chance of obtaining thick stands. With the prevalence of dry 

 soil conditions, light rainfall does not cause the unhulled seed to 

 germinate, but hulled seed germinates readily and the seedlings may 

 die from lack of moisture before they can become established. 



Its bulky nature makes unhulled seed more difficult to distribute 

 uniformly than hulled seed. It must be broadcast and may be 

 harrowed in. It is also difficult to market and is not generally handled 

 by the seed trade. But farmers can harvest seed for their own use 

 and save the expense of having it hulled. 



Companion Crops 



Rye, vetch, Italian ryegrass, and fall-sown grain crops are often 

 seeded with crimson clover. Besides making a valuable addition to 

 the clover (fig. 4), these companion crops help bolster up a thin stand. 

 Such crops are seeded from one-half to one-third the normal crop rate 

 and the crimson clover is seeded at the normal rate. Planting is done 



