A Growing Crop of Lespedeza Sericea. A Serieea Plant. 
LESPEDEZA SERICEA 
The New Perennial Lespedeza 
Sericea might almost be called “poor land alfalfa” for it reproduces itself each year from the crown or root like alfalfa, 
makes a hay much like alfalfa, is a nitrogen gatherer and soil builder like alfalfa. But it has one quality that alfalfa does 
not have—Sericea will grow on sour or acid soil that has no lime at all; it grows on soils that range from light sands to 
the very heavy clays. 
Tt will not allow itself to be smothered out by weeds and obnoxious plants, but overcomes the-e plants and continues 
to thrive. 
Its root system is tremendous, reaching one to three feet in the soil for nourishment, withstands drought, aids subsoils 
and breaks up hard-pan. It does not require lime or fertilizer, but responds to it. 
Habits of Growth 
Ail other lespedezas must be allowed to drop a seed crop 
in order to reproduce. Sericea, on the contrary, you plant 
one time and the plant comes out from the roots or crown. 
Sericea grows erect with a few to many stems rising from 
a crown like alfalfa. Each stem is branched and the plant 
grows from 3 to 5 feet tall during first year. From six to 
thirty or more stems will rise from one crown during the 
second year, and the plant will grow taller; additional stems 
grow each year until a plant five or six years old may have 
a hundred stems. The plant is extremely leafy, leaves hold¬ 
ing on to the bottom of the stems. In a dense stand, the 
plant stems are no thicker than a wheat straw, and when 
cut at the right time, the stems are but little more than 
those of alfalfa. The stand thickens wherever the plants 
are allowed to go to seed; seedling plants are able to grow 7 
in the midst of a thick growth of almost any kind, and for 
that reason w 7 eeds seldom" smother them out. 
Soil Preparation and Seeding 
The land should be plow 7 ed, disced, harrowed, and rows 
marked off 2% to 3 feet apart. Some make a small bed or 
ridge, then run a cultipacker down it to assure a firm, 
smooth, compact bed. Others plant flat and w r e like this 
method to' avoid any possible freezing next winter in a 
ridge. Use a small seed planter after danger of frost is past, 
covering not over 34 inch—very important. Two to three 
pounds per acre is enough in rows, using hulled and scari¬ 
fied seed. 
For broadcast seeding, sow 10 to 15 pounds of hulled and 
scarified seed in spring after danger of killing frost, or 
sow 7 in June on cultivated seed bed where weeds have been 
killed. Sown broadcast in spring, weeds w 7 ill come up with 
it and the plants won’t get very high first year; however, 
weeds will not choke it and the next year weeds won't 
bother, and your stand gets thicker and thicker. Chinese 
agricultural agents (you know Sericea originated in Asia) 
report that areas there fifty years old are still going strong 
for hay and pasture. 
Harvesting 
The seed crop should be harvested when bulk of seed have 
turned brow r n. Seed may then be threshed by use of regular 
thresher. When you get ready to replant these seed, they 
should be run through a modern scarifier and cleaner, which 
hulls, scarifies and cleans them. Hulled and scarified seed 
show 7 about 90 percent germination where unhulled seed 
planted in the spring show 10% to 20% grow'th. Nature 
drops them in the fall w 7 ith hulls on them, as well as a hard 
inner coat, which protects the seed through the winter and 
they come up the following spring. 
Hay Production 
After the first year, tw 7 o cuttings maybe safely made, with 
three cuttings under favorable conditions. The quality of hay 
is excellent provided cuttings are made w 7 hen plants are 12 
to 15 inches tall, second cuttings are usually better than 
the first, as from one to six new stems are put out by the 
plant after the initial cutting. Total yields of 5 tons dried 
hay per acre per sea on have been obtained. Dr. C. A. 
Mooers, director Tenn. Experiment Station says, “The leaves 
are evidently appetizing from the manner in which all ani¬ 
mals seem to relish them. Even poultry like the leaves; 
bees are found in mighty numbers when the plants are in 
blossom. Cattle feeders cannot afford to overlook the fact 
that the plants are 50 percent leaf, especially when results 
so far show 7 a yield of four tons to tw r o cuttings per acre 
of thoroughly cured hay”. 
FOR PRICES ON NEW CROP, RECLEANED, SCARIFIED SERICEA SEED 
Strains 12087 and 0430 
SEE GREEN INK LIST IN THIS CATALOG 
Send All Orders To 
RUSSELL-HECKLE SEED CO. 
26 S. Front St. Wholesale Warehouse, Linden Station Memphis, Tenn. 
