FOR THE SOUTHERN STATES. 



93 



delicious Dutritious grazing for four to 

 eigiit months' of the year. But on richer 

 soil it doffs the dwarf and dons the tree 

 stjde justifying the American name of 

 "bush clover." sending its long tap root 

 deep down in the subsoil and its stem 

 two to three feet up into the light and 

 air, with its many branches thickly set 

 with leaves, inviting tooth and blade. 



It attains here on rich or medium soil 

 protected from live stock a magnitude 

 that could not have been imagined by 

 one seeing it in its far eastern home. It 

 takes possession not only of unoccupied 

 land and pine thickets but grows among 

 sedges, grasses, briers and weeds, com- 

 pletely eradicating many species of 

 noxious grasses and weeds. It subdues 

 even broom grass and holds equal con- 

 test with Bermuda grass ; in some local- 

 ities one yielding, in other localities the 

 other succumbing, while in other spots 

 both maintain equal possession ; or one 

 year ojie may seem to rule, and the next 

 year the other. 



VALUE. 



On sands, gravels, or denuded clay 

 hill tops no other plant known to me is 

 so valuable for grazing. Taking a suc- 

 cession of ten years, the same assertion 

 would not be far out of the way for rich 

 lands while few forage plants on these 

 would yield so much or so valuable hay. 



The analysis of red clovqr gives 16 per 

 cent albujninoids and 41 carbohydrates. 

 The average of two analyses of Japan 

 clover gives 15.85 albuminoids and 56 

 carbohydrates, placing it above red 

 clover in nutritive value. It is 



SUPERIOR TO OTHER FORAGE PLANTS, 



in several important particulars not 

 generally observed by the careless 

 stock-man. 1. The growing plant con- 

 tains less moisture than any other very 

 valuable forage plant with perhaj^s a 

 single exception. Hence we never hear 

 of animals having hoven or bloat or 

 scours from eating this plant as when 

 they have free access to red clover, peas 

 and many grasses. 2. AVe have never 

 yet found on the Japan clover any 

 fungous growths which are so common 

 on other plants as to cause many deaths 



annually among animals grazing on 

 them or fed with the hay. 3. Heavy graz- 

 ing for a few weeks destroj^s the clovers, 

 lucerne and most of the grasses, while 

 this plant may be grazed however close- 

 ly, whether the season be wet or pro- 

 longed drouth prevail, without damage. 



4. There is less difficulty of obtaining 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 Lespedeza; 

 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 obtained after having dur- 

 ing the summer harvested 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 reganl it as the soundest, best, 

 most wholesome and i)alatable hay they 

 ever used. These mowings have ranged 

 from two to three hundred tons on 

 single farms in one season. Yet no 

 complaint 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 beauti- 

 ful sample of this hay from Louisiana 

 being from a crop of i)erhaps oOO tons 

 mowed last autumn. 



SEEDING. 



A measured half bushel of seed per 

 acre may be sown broad-cast the first 



