FOR THE SOUTHERN STATES. 87 
taining a catch with this plant than most 
others. The seed may be scattered on bare, 
poor, barren ground, rich soil, among weeds 
and dead grass, or in March on small grain 
sown the previous autumn or winter and a 
catch will be obtained. 5. The grain being 
harvested when ripe does not injure the Les- 
pedeza; which is ready for the mower through 
September and October. 6. It is more easily 
cured than the clovers, pea vines and many 
grasses. 7. It does not lose the foliage in 
curing as do clovers, peas and some other 
plants. 8. It furnishes good grazing from 
May, some years last of March till killed by 
frost in October or November. 
PRODUCT OF HAY. 
On medium to good land it ranges from one 
to three tons per acre; and this may be ob- 
tained after having during the summer har- 
vested from the same land a good crop of 
grain and straw. 
QUALITY. 
Some of our farmers who have been mowing 
Lespedeza striata for five to ten years, regard 
it as the soundest, best, most wholesome and 
palatable hay they ever used. These mowings 
have ranged from two to three hundred tons 
on single farms in one season. Yet no com- 
plaint as to quality, or relish of animals for it, 
or as to its nutritive value and good effect on 
the stock has ever reached us. Those who 
have used it longest and in largest quantities 
and kept animals—cattle, sheep, horses and 
mules—in best condition commend it most. 
We have now before us a beautiful sample of 
this hay from Louisiana, being from a crop of 
perhaps 300 tons mowed last autumn. 
SEEDING. 
A measured half bushel of seed per acre may 
be sown broad-cast the first week in March 
south of parallel 32° of latitude, a few days 
later as we proceed northward for each degree 
ortwo. Sown in the Fall or Winter it springs 
up, but freezes often throw it out and destroy 
it. As already stated, it germinates and grows 
well on land in any condition, if the surface 
is not so loose as to let the seed sink too deep. 
When land has been prepared for or sown in 
erain, the winter rains put it in about the best 
condition for growing this plant for heavy 
crops of hay. 
All our remarks on this plant, as found in 
our Southern States, are based on what we 
have seen and learned of it in a belt lying 
between 305° and 34° of latitude. 
The only 
COMPLETE PROOF 
of the value of a forage plant is found in the 
concurrence of chemical analysis and the ob- 
servation and experience of the stockman. 
When the relish of an animal for the forage is 
keen, the health preserved and improved, 
growth promoted, a maximum quantity of 
excellent beef or mutton or pork, and, if 
superior milk and butter are obtained, we cer- 
tainly have an admirable food plant. The 
judgment of the cow, the convictions of the 
farmer arising from his experiences indepen- 
dent of, and indeed in utter ignorance of any 
chemical analysis, confirming the decisions of 
the chemist, gives us the best of all evidences 
of the value ef forage. And all these we have 
in this case. Japan clover is also a great 
AMELIORATOR AND FERTILIZER. 
Its abundant long tap-roots decaying render 
the soil porous and leave in it much nitro- 
genous material and humus. It releases and 
brings up from the subsoil valuable plant 
food; the ashes containing nearly 40 per cent. 
potash, 29.60 oxide lime, 7.82 sulphuric acid, 
7.54 phosphoric acid—all most valuable ele- 
ments in plant life and growth. Soils are thus 
renovated, slopes prevented from washing, 
gullies filled, moisture solicited and retained, 
atmospheric fertilizers gathered and garnered; 
bald, barren wastes covered with living green 
to fill the stomach, delight the eye and cheer 
the heart. 
It should have been stated that this plant 
has eradicated over large areas the much 
detested helenium or bitter weed, which so 
often damages the flavor of the milk of cows 
eating it while grazing. Itis believed that it 
exterminates also two or three plants that 
are fatally poisonous to cattle and horses. 
For price see price list. 
BURR CLOVER. 
(Medicago Maculata. ) 
This variety of clover was brought from 
Chili to California, and thence to the States, 
under the name of California Clover. It is 
often taken for Lucerne, which name is wrong- 
ly applied. The Burr Clover has only two or 
three yellow blossoms in each cluster, while 
Lucerne has many blue blossoms in an elon- 
gated head. It furnishes good grazing from 
CRIMSON 
February till April or May. It is good for 
erazing and hay. As there is no way for re- 
moving the seeds from the pods of spotted 
medic, it is necessary to sow the burr like 
pods, say one half bushel per acre. The 
planting should be done early in Fall, so the 
pods may have time to rot and release the 
seeds. Should be covered very lightly. 
CLOVER. 
(Trifolium Incarnatum. ) 
Although this annual, which belongs toa 
warm climate, has not been tried in Louisiana 
to any extent, I should recommend to do so. 
It is, as by the reports of Experiment Stations | 
of North Carolina and other States, an excel- | 
lent clover, productive for one or two mow- 
ings, which should be done when young yet, 
as it becomes hard and woody if ‘allowed to 
mature. 
As itis anative of the southern part of 
