Sweet Clover 
IN ILLINOIS 
The following are a few interesting extracts 
from Bulletin 394 of the Illinois Agricultural Ex¬ 
periment Station. Published July, 1933. 
“A conservative estimate would indicate an 
addition of 120 pounds of nitrogen per acre by 
fixation. If this nitrogen were evaluated at the 
price prevailing in fertilizers, it would be worth 
from $12 to $18. ” 
“The protein content of sweet clover, as of 
other legumes, is increased by inoculation. Since 
protein is one of the most expensive feed con¬ 
stituents, inoculation is of importance to the live¬ 
stock man who desires to use the crop for hay or 
pasture. For soil improvement purposes, likewise, 
This Heavy Stand of Sweet Clover Insures Greater Yield of 
Crops That Follow 
it is important that sweet clover have a high nitro¬ 
gen content so that it will decay more readily and 
thus release available plant nutrients for succeed¬ 
ing crops. ” 
“Sweet clover, when used as a green manure 
crop not only compares favorably with farm or 
stable manure in its effect on crop yields, but is 
one of the most valuable legumes for soil-improve¬ 
ment purposes. ” 
“. . . improved tilth, nitrogen fixation, addition 
of active organic matter to the soil, an increase 
in the micro-organic life in the soil, and a gain in 
available plant nutrients. No system of sweet 
clover management can be evaluated by taking 
into consideration only one of these factors.” 
“Sweet clover is capable of furnishing more 
grazing than almost any other common corn-belt 
pasture plant. On poor soils it has no rivals but 
on rich soils alfalfa also produces an abundance 
of forage. There is less danger of cattle becom¬ 
ing bloated from sweet clover than from the com¬ 
mon pasture legumes.” 
