BREEDERS, GROWERS, DISTRIBUTORS 31 

A seed crop of Hubam clover (page 33) at harvest 
CLOVERS 
No other legume crops are so well adapted to improve clay soils. Once regarded as common 
field weeds, the clovers are now among the most valuable temporary pasture legumes and 
soil improvement crops to prepare land for establishing permanent pasture grasses. They 
provide excellent grazing in cool moist periods of the year and flowering plants for bees during 
the warm spring and summer. The deeply penetrating root systems absorb subsoil minerals 
and, afterwards decaying, leave them available for other plants; they will also tend to loosen 
packed soils into a mellow, even, uniform structure, easily worked. 
ALSIKE Trifolium hybridum 
Alsike clover is a long lived perennial, fields enduring four to six years in good soil. The 
stems are erect or ascending when crowded, but in isolated plants are spreading. Pink 
to white flower heads develop at each leaf axil along the entire stem. The stems are fine, 
and both stems and leaves are free from the hairiness that helps cause dusty hay. Used for 
grazing, hay, and soil improvement. Alsike thrives best in low-land soils where plenty 
of moisture is available and will tolerate considerable amounts of acidity. Rarely winter 
kills and often survives winter conditions that destroy other clovers. 
ALYCE Alysicarpus vaginalis 
Alyce Clover is a summer annual used primarily as a hay crop but may be used for 
light grazing. Grows erect in dense stands but tends to fall down in sparse stands. 
Reaches a height of 18 to 40 inches. Leaflets are % to 2 inches long. Flowers purple 
in color and small brownish seeds are borne in small cylindrical and jointed pods. Clay 
soils are preferred because rootknot is not so injurious as in sandy soils. 
ANNUAL YELLOW BLOSSOM SWEETCLOVER Melilotus indica 
An annual yellow flowering kind winter hardy only in the coastal soils. Chiefly used 
and best adapted as a cover crop to maintain good soil structure and fertility in orchards, 
used where an early quick growth is desired. Inexpensive to sow and the best sweet 
clover to plant with oats on bottom land. Matures early at the same time as oats there- 
fore does not interfere with harvesting the oat crop. Plants spreading when young, erect 
1%-2% ft. when mature; stems fine, leafy, woody, but not tough. 
