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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2010 with funding from 
 The Library of Congress 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/valueofsweetclov01sinn 
 
The Value of 
 
 Sweet Clover 
 
 By J. F. SINN 
 
 0/ 
 A. A. BERRY SEED CO. 
 
 PRICE, $1.00 
 
 
 
 Published by 
 
 
 A. 
 
 A. 
 
 Berry 
 
 CLARINDA, 
 
 See 
 
 IOWA 
 
 d Co. 
 
 ROOERS «t HAkt. CO.. PRINTERS, CHICAQO 
 
"75 3 ^o^ 
 
 Revised Edition 
 Copyrighted 1916 
 
 J. F. SINN 
 
 APR -6 1316 
 
 a,A4284t5 
 
Contents 
 
 Chapter . Page 
 
 Introduction 5 
 
 1. History of the Plant 7 
 
 2. Different Species 12 
 
 3. Where It Will Grow 15 
 
 4. Time of Seeding 19 
 
 5. Preparation and Amount to Sow. 22 
 
 6. Treatment of Hard Seed 27 
 
 7. Inoculation and Fertilization 30 
 
 8. Value as a Hay Crop 34 
 
 9. Value as a Pasture 40 
 
 10. Scientific Feed Value 44 
 
 11. Value as a Fertilizer 48 
 
 12. Value as a Seed Crop 53 
 
 13. Where to Obtain Seed 57 
 
 14. Eradication 59 
 
 15. Conclusion 61 
 
Introdttction 
 
 The idea in preparing this little book is to set 
 forth in clear and simple language the main features 
 connected with the growing of Sweet Clover; to ex- 
 ploit the value of the plant, so that its true value may- 
 be known, and to have Sweet Clover possess the place 
 which was intended for it when created by the 
 Almighty. 
 
 It is intended to convey useful information and 
 suggestions that will be beneficial to the inexperienced 
 grower and to those who are not acquainted with its 
 merits and do not know of its value. There has been 
 but little written of an authoritative nature concerning 
 Sweet Clover. The author believes there is a place 
 for this booklet in the library of every practical farmer 
 who is interested in progress and is desirous of learn- 
 ing more about forage plants. From now on it is to 
 the forage plant we must look to replace what has 
 been robbed from the soil by constant farming and 
 growing of other crops. 
 
 There is certainly a large field for Sweet Clover 
 to fill, for every tiller of the soil appreciates the need 
 of a restorative, as the soil is fast becoming depleted 
 of its nitrogen and humus and requires rebuilding. 
 
 I realize there is a wide variation and difference 
 in opinion as to the merits of Sweet Clover and all 
 will not agree with the writer as to its value, although 
 authentic tests have proven that it is on par with 
 Alfalfa as a feed, and can be grown successfully over 
 
a much larger area, as Alfalfa is rather a particular 
 chooser of the kind of soil on which it will grow. In 
 some instances Sweet Clover is being condemned, 
 possibly because of not understanding the plant, while 
 others are too enthusiastic and overestimate its worth, 
 but the writer will feel that his efiforts have accom- 
 plished the purpose intended if this book is the means 
 of influencing individuals to test it out for themselves 
 and to prove its value by experiments and observa- 
 tions. 
 
Chapter I 
 HISTORY OF PLANT 
 
 Generally when speaking of Sweet Clover (Meli- 
 lotus Alba), we have in mind the White Blossom 
 variety, although there are four distinct species, which 
 will be taken up later and each discussed. However, 
 the White Blossom is considered for most purposes 
 the most valuable, and when no qualifying term is 
 used the white species is the one usually meant. The 
 writer would ask that you bear this explanation in 
 mind, as this understanding of the term is used in the 
 following pages of this treatise. 
 
 This plant is known by a number of different 
 names. The most common are Bokhara or Melilotus, 
 which means honey lotus or honey plant. It is also 
 called Bee Clover, Honey Lotus, Tree Clover and 
 Giant Alfalfa. 
 
 While Sweet Clover is one of the oldest of the 
 leguminous plants and from a careful study of the 
 plant might be considered the most valuable, it is 
 strange that not until recent years was its true worth 
 discovered. The plant is a native of central Asia and 
 has grown on the desert lands and mountain sides for 
 over 2,000 years, growing luxuriantly, not being 
 affected by the severe winters, nor by the extreme 
 heat and drouth in summer. From there it spread to 
 Europe, where for a number of years it has been cul- 
 tivated to some extent for hay, pasture and as a fer- 
 tilizer. It was also used somewhat in ancient times 
 
for medicines, and in some instances this practice still 
 exists to the present time. 
 
 The White Blossom Sweet Clover was first intro- 
 duced in the United States in the early part of the 
 eighteenth century by the colonists from Europe, but 
 then little did they think that this honey plant, as it 
 was called, would be the sensation of the twentieth 
 century, so far as adding wealth to the agricultural 
 industry is concerned. 
 
 Sweet Clover had always been considered a great 
 honey plant and was utilized more in this respect than 
 any other, although it was known to be of some value 
 as a forage crop and fertilizer. It is now distributed 
 more or less over the entire civilized world, and is 
 sure to become the most popular plant of modern 
 times. Its great value as a forage crop and fertilizer 
 is being preached by all agricultural writers, and it has 
 been greatly exploited by the best farm papers. Every 
 up-to-date farmer has heard of, read or knows from 
 observation something about Sweet Clover. 
 
 To those who are not acquainted with Sweet 
 Clover it might seem that the value of the plant may 
 be overestimated and that it is a fad or hobby which 
 will pass by. It is not astounding that the true value 
 of Sweet Clover was not discovered until the twen- 
 tieth century, for this is the age when progress and 
 inventions are being made in all lines. It would be a 
 sad lot, indeed, for the tiller of the soil if no progress 
 were made to aid him in the way of securing new 
 crops or discovering further uses and values of differ- 
 ent plants. 
 
 What has always seemed very strange to the 
 writer is that the King road drag was not discovered 
 sooner, for it certainly is a simple device and un- 
 doubtedly excells all machinery when it comes to mak- 
 ing a fine dirt highway. As in all lines there is much 
 wealth and latent power awaiting development; so it 
 
 8 
 
is true in the agricultural pursuit that there is un- 
 doubtedly great wealth hidden and lying dormant in 
 the soil. In all probability we shall from time to 
 time learn some of the new things in plant life that 
 will not only be a big surprise to us, but will add 
 greatly to our already large number of paying crops. 
 When one is seeking a fortune it is always well to 
 look near at home, for often the hidden treasure is 
 right at hand and only requires some one to bring it 
 to light. 
 
 If you would speak of Sweet Clover as a weed 
 you would cause no sensation, for it has been con- 
 sidered as such, and you will find it growing luxuri- 
 antly along the highways, railroad right-of-ways and 
 many times in deep cuts where there is nothing but 
 the yellow clay, in which it makes an unusual growth. 
 It also makes a great growth along the irrigating 
 ditches, and in this way has been spread rapidly ; also 
 by bee-keepers who have sowed it in various waste 
 places. 
 
 There is no reason why Sweet Clover should ever 
 have been classed as a weed, except that it is a pro- 
 lific grower and is easily started, defies drouth and 
 grows on nearly al kinds of soil. On account of its 
 adaptability and persistency in growing it was classed 
 as a weed by those who did not know of its com- 
 mercial value; but this is the only characteristic of a 
 weed that the plant possesses. And the very fact that 
 it is so unusually hardy makes it all the more valuable 
 as a forage plant, for no one need fail in growing it. 
 The plant is a biennial and is not hard to eradicate 
 and never becomes a pest, as it can be easily killed 
 out by cultivation. 
 
 The utilization of Sweet Clover should be accom- 
 panied by a thorough understanding of its various 
 characteristics, which are essential to know, in order 
 to insure success with the crop and also prevent any 
 
ill-effects which might result from growing it in 
 ignorance. 
 
 Its value as a honey plant is quite generally under- 
 stood, but this is the least important. Its great value 
 as a fertilizer has not been fully understood, and it is 
 going to bring an abundance of wealth to this country 
 by increasing the fertility of run-down soils and re- 
 claiming old, worn-out farms. It has been utilized for 
 hay and pasture in a very limited way, for it has been 
 treated as a weed, and possibly by mental telepathy 
 the thought passed from the farmers' minds to the 
 stock, as they also seem to have looked upon it as 
 being unfit for food and refused to eat it when they 
 have had access to other pasture. The reason stock 
 refuse to eat it at first is due to a bitter taste and 
 odor, but when once induced to eat it they apparently 
 relish it and become very fond of it and prefer it to 
 other forage. It has great feeding value, ranking 
 right alongside of Alfalfa. In some respects it excels 
 Alfalfa, its only rival, as a forage crop. 
 
 There is certainly a large field for Sweet Clover 
 to fill, and it cannot help but be of great value to every 
 farm and farmer, for there is not only a great need 
 of a fertihzer in the south and east on the old worn- 
 out farms, but there is also a great need throughout 
 the entire corn belt. The plant does not only add 
 wealth in the corn belt by supplying nitrogen and 
 humus to the soil, but its greatest addition is its feed 
 value. We have our great corn plant, rich in carbon 
 hydrates, fat-producing element, but short on protein- 
 bone, muscle and milk producing food. By combin- 
 ing Sweet Clover with corn we have one of the great- 
 est feeding combinations known, and every stock 
 raiser or dairyman will hail with delight the one thing 
 for which he has been constantly searching. Every 
 feeder and dairyman has been short in protein, and it 
 has been expensive to obtain it by purchasing such 
 feeds as bran, shorts, oil meal, clover and alfalfa hay. 
 
 10 
 
The value of Sweet Clover as a protein feed will be 
 better appreciated when you realize that a ton of it 
 is equal to a ton of bran in food value, and it is 
 claimed by some that in this respect it even excels 
 Alfalfa. 
 
 It has several decided advantages over Alfalfa, 
 which might be briefly mentioned at this time. First, 
 and one of great importance, is that it is easily started, 
 and this one fact recommends it to many farmers who 
 have been unsuccessful in growing Alfalfa. It is also 
 true that it is adapted to a wider range of soil and 
 will thrive under conditions that Alfalf awould not. 
 And, again, it withstands great drouth and does not 
 winter kill. It will also produce more forage and is 
 considered by the best authorities a better fertilizer. 
 This does not mean that Alfalfa is not all that is 
 claimed for it, but it now has a rival which bids fair 
 to excel it in many ways, and it is to the interest of 
 everyone to study both plants and know which one is 
 best adapted to his specific requirements and decide 
 which he ought to grow. 
 
 11 
 
Chapter II 
 DIFFERENT SPECIES 
 
 There are three distinct varieties of Sweet Clover 
 which are quite common in this country. In fact, four 
 varieties are known to us, and in the old world there 
 are still other varieties, but of little prominence. It 
 will be well to take each variety up separately, in the 
 order of their value, and give a short description, so 
 that our readers may be familiar with their respective 
 merits. 
 
 First. White Blossom Sweet Clover (Melilotus 
 Alba), is the most common and is the variety com- 
 monly referred to when merely speaking of Sweet 
 Clover. Nearly everyone has seen this variety grow- 
 ing, for it is the one commonly seen along the high- 
 ways, railroad right-of-ways and various out-of-the- 
 way places, and when once started it grows very 
 luxuriantly, if unmolested. It is a biennial (two-year 
 plant), growing from a tap root and sends up an erect 
 branching plant, with ascending stem^ not heavily 
 covered with leaves. The first season, when sowed in 
 the spring, it makes a growth twenty to thirty inches 
 in height and reserves a large supply of food material 
 in the root for a rapid and vigorous growth the second 
 year. 
 
 Plants when young greatly resemble Alfalfa, but 
 need never be confused with it, for it can be readily 
 distinguished by the bitter taste and odor of its 
 
 12 
 
foliage. The bitter taste it possesses is due to cumarin, 
 but this is a decided advantage, as it prevents bloating 
 when used for pasture. 
 
 When in bloom it is a very attractive plant, grow- 
 ing from five to ten feet high, and is generally covered 
 with bees. The flowers are white, blooming in long, 
 loose racemes, and a single seed is borne in a rectangu- 
 lar pod. After the seed is produced the plant dies. 
 
 In harmony with other legumes, it stores up nitro- 
 gen in the nodules of its roots, and this is the impor- 
 tant element in adding fertility to the soil on which it 
 is grown. 
 
 The seed very closely resembles Alfalfa seed, and 
 cannot be easily distinguished, except by the odor 
 which is common to Sweet Clover. Alfalfa is being 
 used as an adulterant for Sweet Clover in some in- 
 stances. 
 
 Second. Large Yellow Blossom Sweet Clover 
 (Melilotus Officinalis), is very similar to the White 
 Blossom, just described, but is not so common. Like 
 the White Blossom Sweet Clover, it is a biennial, but 
 does not grow as high, attaining from three to five 
 feet in height. It is more spreading in habit and grows 
 closer to the ground, making it often difficult to mow. 
 This is an objectionable feature, for it leaves branches 
 which produce seed, making it more difficult to eradi- 
 cate unless cultivated. It blooms about ten days earlier 
 than the White Blossom and grows a finer stem, and 
 is preferred in some localities for hay on account of 
 not growing so rank. The seed is very similar to the 
 White Blossom, and it is difficult to distinguish them. 
 
 Third. Small Yellow Blossom Sweet Qover 
 (Melilotus Indica). This species is a low-growing 
 erect plant, blossoming very early in the season. This 
 plant is supposed to have originally come from India. 
 It is an annual, while the two preceding species are 
 
 IS 
 
biennials, and are far more important. This plant is 
 only grown in a limited way in the United States, 
 flourishing mostly in southern California, where it is 
 considered of value, but is not recommended for sec- 
 tions where the other varieties can be grown advan- 
 tageously. 
 
 It is a legume, the same as the other varieties, 
 but is not recommended, for it contains more cuma- 
 rin, making it very bitter and less palatable for stock 
 of all kinds. 
 
 However, it is very essential that you become 
 familiar with this variety, and on this account one 
 should know the difference. Several seed dealers have 
 been imposed upon during the past few years, for 
 the annual has been substitutd for the large yellow 
 blossom, which is a biennial, and is not to be compared 
 with the annual in any way. The seed of the small 
 annual Yellow Blossom species has a rough surface, 
 while the large biennial are smooth. The Seed Lab- 
 oratory of the Department of Agriculture, Washing- 
 ton, D. C, is prepared to identify samples. Anyone 
 who wishes the Large Yellow Blossom variety should 
 be particular about purchasing their seed from a re- 
 liable party, who knows what is being offered. 
 
 Fourth. Blue Blossom Sweet Clover, There is 
 a variety that has a blue blossom, but it is not common 
 in the United States and is not generally considered. 
 It is supposed to be a native of Africa and is very 
 similar to the Large Yellow and White Blossom varie- 
 ties, being a biennial and in general appearance 
 resembles them, except the color or blossom. It grows 
 to a height of three to five feet, and is an erect branch- 
 ing plant, easily eradicated by cultivation. 
 
 14 
 
Chapter III 
 WHERE IT WILL GROW 
 
 It has been generally stated that Sweet Clover is 
 being grown in all civilized countries, which is true, 
 and it is also being grown in all parts of the United 
 States. It possesses a wider adaptability as to soil 
 and climate than any of the other leguminous plants, 
 growing successfully in the sub-tropical climates and 
 also enduring the wide range of temperature to which 
 it is subjected throughout the Northern States and 
 Canada. Sweet Clover thrives in the most humid 
 sections, and will withstand a great amount of mois- 
 ture and very unfavorable conditions, such as over- 
 flow, and in this respect is about equal to Alsike; it 
 also thrives in the semi-arid regions, where the rainfall 
 is very limited and not over half of what is required 
 to produce a Clover crop. On the "acid" soils which 
 are found in the Eastern States it grows very satis- 
 factorily, and when planted on such soil it has a 
 tendency to counteract the acidity and put the soil 
 into shape for growing other plants which would not 
 thrive before. We also find it growing on the alkali 
 soil of the Western States, where alkali would pre- 
 vent raising other farm crops. It grows on very thin, 
 sandy soil, and on the gravelly hills which are too 
 poor to produce any other crop advantageously, and 
 you also find it growing in the limestone quarries. It 
 thrives exceedingly well on the limestone hills in the 
 East, which will not produce other crops. You will 
 
 15 
 
find it making a luxuriant growth on the clay banks 
 of deep cuts and has also been noticed growing on blue 
 clay taken from the bottom of a well. In fact, it will 
 grow on all kinds of soil, with the exception of low, 
 wet ground which is water logged, but even in this 
 respect it grows on very wet land, and has a tendency 
 to relieve the boggy condition. It makes a splendid 
 growth on the rich black loam, and also on the black 
 gumbo commonly found on bottom land. The only 
 other exception is soil which has been completely de- 
 pleted of lime. Sweet Clover requires lime in the soil, 
 and this mineral has been well provided by nature 
 and nearly all soil contains sufficient lime to insure 
 growing it successfully. It is a great drouth resisting 
 plant, and this undoubtedly is due to the fact that it 
 sends out a long tap root, making a great root growth 
 the first season, and stands the long, hot, dry summers 
 of the Southern States better than Japan Qover or 
 any of the other forage crops. It also withstands the 
 hot, dry summers of the western plains, remining green 
 and making a splendid growth, despite the hot, dry 
 weather which is so disastrous to all kinds of plant 
 life. 
 
 Sweet Clover is a wonderful plant, growing in 
 so many different climates and conditions, and we 
 wish to give what the Farmers' Bulletin, No. 485, of 
 the Department of Agriculture, has to say on this 
 point: "It thrives in the most humid parts of the 
 country, as well as in the semi-arid sections, where 
 the rainfall is but three-fifths of that required for the 
 normal growth of such crops as Timothy and Red 
 Clover. It produces satisfactory crops on the "acid" 
 soils of the Eastern States and also on the alkali soils 
 of the West, where sufficient alkali is present to pre- 
 vent the growth of most farm crops. It will grow on 
 soils too sandy to support ordinary field crops, and 
 appears to be even better adapted to raw clay and 
 loose cuts and fills, where scarcely any other vegeta- 
 tion is able to establish a foothold. It also makes an 
 
 16 
 
excellent growth in gravel pits and stone quarries, but 
 for some reason does not seem to do well on unsettled, 
 cultivated soil. It makes its best growth where the 
 soil is compact and not crowded with other vegetation. 
 In such states as Iowa it seems to require a rich soil 
 for satisfactory growth, but on the limestone hills of 
 the Eastern and Southern States it makes a good 
 growth on soils too poor to produce a paying crop of 
 com." 
 
 From all reports received from the best authority 
 it would seem that Sweet Clover has a wider range 
 of adaptability not only in latitude and soil, growing 
 in the extreme North, to the extreme South, but also 
 possesses great endurance and thrives jvithout rainfall 
 and not only withstands moisture ^nd defies drouth, 
 but has the same endurance when it comes to heat or 
 cold. The fact that Sweet Clover is adapted to such 
 a wide range of soil and conditions recommends it as 
 one of the most important of the leguminous forage 
 crops and makes it a valuable plant on account of not 
 being able to grow other crops where it thrives. 
 
 Sweet Clover is being grown quite extensively as 
 a field crop in Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky, 
 and is proving equal to its reputation as laid down by 
 scientific agricultural writers, and is bringing an 
 abundance of wealth in the way of renewing the 
 depleted fields which have been farmed to death. You 
 will also find Sweet Clover growing in Iowa, 
 Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, 
 Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Dakotas, New York, and, 
 in fact, nearly every state in the Union is growing 
 Sweet Clover to some extent. The demand is rapidly 
 increasing and every up-to-date, wide-awake farmer 
 is interested in the plant and is making investigation 
 as to its merits, and in many cases is testing it out in 
 a small way. It is really amazing to note what interest 
 has been manifested, and consequently there has been 
 an unusual demand for seed. Last year the demand 
 
 17 
 
exceeded the supply and many were unable to obtain 
 seed, while others who were so anxious to give it a 
 trial secured Yellow Blossom instead of the White, 
 for it seemed more plentiful, but much the Yellow 
 Blossom Sweet Clover offered was the annual, and 
 in such cases Sweet Clover undoubtedly got a setback, 
 for the annual is not to be compared with the White, 
 and it is essential that the correct species be used if 
 you desire success. 
 
 18 
 
Chapter IV 
 TIME OF SEEDING 
 
 This is a question which might have several 
 answers and all be correct, for in different parts of 
 the country a different time might be best suited. So 
 it is with any given rule. There are exceptions, but 
 going back to nature we find the seed is left on the 
 ground in the fall, and it germinates for the most 
 part in the spring, there being an occasional plant 
 started in the fall. Spring seeding, generally speak- 
 ing, has given excellent results and is considered the 
 correct time for sowing. 
 
 The best time in the spring for sowing depends 
 somewhat upon how the crop is to be handled and 
 whether it is to be sowed with or without a nurse 
 crop. When using a nurse crop it should be sowed 
 early in the spring at the time that Oats and Barley 
 are sown, and the earliest varieties of small grain 
 makes the best nurse crop. One of the greatest mis- 
 takes in seeding grass seed of all kinds with a nurse 
 crop is using too much seed and trying to raise a full 
 crop of grain. The grain should be considered as a 
 secondary crop and the grass seeding, no matter of 
 what kind, should be considered first, for it is the 
 most important. It is mere folly to smother out your 
 seeding of Clover, Alfalfa or Sweet Clover by sowing 
 three or four bushels of Oats per acre, endeavoring 
 to raise a bumper crop of Oats, as well as securing a 
 stand of grass. The talented editor of Wallace's 
 
 19 
 
Farmer, Uncle Henry Wallace, in making a short talk 
 in regard to the methods of seeding, stated that this 
 was the greatest cause of not obtaining a stand and 
 that in his long experience of seeding, when a proper 
 amount of grain seed had been used, he only knew of 
 two or possibly three failures, these being due to the 
 extreme dry season. 
 
 Now, when using Oats as a nurse crop, it is best 
 to select the earliest varieties and sow not over one 
 and one-half bushels per acre. One reason for recom- 
 mending an extremely early variety of Oats when 
 sowing Sweet Clover, is on account of Sweet Clover 
 being a very rapid grower and by harvest time it will 
 be up ten or twelve inches, and will gather in the 
 butts of the bundle, unless the stubble is left quite 
 high to avoid it. 
 
 Sweet Clover is also sowed in the spring, without 
 a nurse crop, by preparing the soil and sowing in the 
 same manner as Alfalfa or Common Clover. There 
 is no particular advantage in sowing without a nurse 
 crop, for the plant will make about as much growth 
 with a nurse crop and except in the South you cannot 
 secure more than one crop the first season. The plant 
 will continue to grow throughout the entire season 
 and can be pastured in the fall, or a hay crop may be 
 cut the latter part of September or the first part of 
 October. By using a nurse crop you can accomplish 
 practically the same results, besides harvesting a fair 
 crop of small grain, but always remember not to 
 become too greedy and sow too much small grain, for 
 the main crop might be lost by doing so. 
 
 Fall seeding is desirable in some section, but for 
 the most part the writer does not recommend it, for 
 it has some disadvantages, and throughout the corn 
 belt spring seeding undoubtedly will prove far more 
 satisfactory. When seeding in the fall the seed should 
 be sown the latter part of August or the first of Sep- 
 
 20 
 
tember on ground that has been well prepared and a 
 good seed bed obtained. Sweet Clover when seeded 
 in the fall does not make enough root development to 
 start off properly in the spring and the growth of the 
 plant is reduced somewhat. This disadvantage will 
 prevent fall seeding being very popular, and, again, 
 it is not best to cut a hay crop late in the following 
 fall, although it may be pastured lightly, but not close 
 to the ground. In the Southern States fall seeding 
 is more popular than in the North, but in the corn 
 belt and Eastern States spring seeding is preferable. 
 
 21 
 
Chapter-V 
 
 PREPARATION AND AMOUNT TO 
 SOW 
 
 Those who are familiar with growing Alfalfa 
 should not have much trouble in starting Sweet Clover 
 if they remember that the plants are very similar. The 
 main thing is a well prepared seed bed which is firm 
 and solid (and there is little danger of getting the 
 ground too firm or solid), for the firmer the better 
 stand will be secured. All the loose soil required is 
 enough to enable you to thoroughly cover the seed. 
 Sweet Clover has failed quite frequently when sown 
 on a cultivated field, and failure was due in all proba- 
 bility to not having a compact seed bed. The fact that 
 it requires a solid seed bed is further demonstrated by 
 its growing successfully on hillsides where nearly all 
 the soil has been washed away and on the roadsides 
 where the ground has been tramped and is very solid. 
 It is very essential that a solid seed bed be prepared, 
 but good results have been obtained by seeding in the 
 same manner as Common Clover. It sometimes is 
 sowed in Winter Wheat early in the spring without 
 any further preparation and a good stand is obtained. 
 
 Sweet Clover does well following a corn crop 
 when sowed in the spring, and works in to good ad- 
 vantage for rotation. The ground can be properly 
 prepared by disking and harrowing, and by either 
 seeding broadcast or by drilling fifteen to twenty 
 pounds of seed, or ten pounds to twelve pounds of 
 
 2Z 
 
scarified seed, to the acre, there should be no trouble 
 in obtaining a stand. It may also be sowed with a 
 nurse crop without any further preparation than what 
 you give to seeding of the small grain. If you use a 
 drill in sowing your small grain and it has a seed 
 attachment you could drill in the Sweet Clover, al- 
 though fully as good results may be obtained by sow- 
 ing broadcast. Land which has been fall plowed would 
 not be so desirable for spring seeding as stock land, 
 for the soil would not be solid enough to insure suc- 
 cess. 
 
 For the best results Clover sod no doubt would 
 prove the most successful. By fall plowing Clover 
 sod and disking the same as preparing for a corn crop 
 and getting the ground in good condition for early 
 seeding there is no reason why a very heavy crop of 
 Sweet Clover could not be grown. On such land it 
 might be well to sow without a nurse crop if you 
 were very desirous of getting all you could out of the 
 Sweet Clover crop, for it will make a little faster and 
 heavier growth when sowed alone and by fall you 
 would get quite a heavy hay crop. 
 
 The preparation of the seed bed for fall seeding 
 is more difficult than spring seeding and should be 
 handled in about the same way as Alfalfa. It would 
 require plowing several months before seeding and 
 much surface cultivation, forming a compact seed 
 bed with a mulch on top to cover the seed. If you 
 wish to seed Sweet Clover in the fall following a small 
 grain crop it is difficult to get the grain off in time 
 so as to plow and work down a solid seed bed, and in 
 such cases better results may be obtained by simply 
 disking the stubble and getting enough loose soil to 
 properly cover the seed. It is not practical to plow 
 the ground early in the season and work it until the 
 first of August, in order to sow Sweet Clover ; nor is 
 it necessar>% for spring seeding would be more desira- 
 ble, and there is very little to be gained by waiting 
 
 23 
 
until fall, and if it is possible to sow in the spring it 
 should be done at that time. 
 
 The amount of seed required for an acre varies 
 according to what is desired from the crop ; also upon 
 the germination test of the seed. One recognized 
 authority in Sweet Clover says : "The amount of seed 
 required per acre depends whether sown for hay, 
 pasture, green manure, or for restoring worn or waste 
 lands. On account of it stooling out so heavily, a 
 medium stand the first year will become a thick stand 
 the second, when it comes from the roots, and a heavy 
 stand for the first year will be entirely too thick the 
 second year to obtain a normal growth and develop- 
 ment of the plant. For hay a bushel will sow three 
 acres; for green manure a bushel will sow tw^o acres, 
 if to be plowed under the first year and three acres 
 if to be plowed under after the second year's growth." 
 
 In testing Sweet Clover it is ofttimes found that 
 there is a large per cent of hard seed which w^ill not 
 germinate until the second year, and sometimes not 
 until the third season. Southern seed is found to con- 
 tain a larger per cent of hard seed than any other, and 
 the imported seed the smallest per cent. This may 
 be partly due to most foreign seed being one year old 
 or due to other conditions. Ten pounds of seed would 
 be a great sufficiency for one acre if it would all grow. 
 It is necessary to count on part of it not germinating, 
 at least the first season, and fifteen to twenty pounds 
 of hulled seed is found to be about the correct amount, 
 although some writers recommend as much as twenty 
 to thirty pounds to the acre. Ground which is adapted 
 to growing Sweet Clover, or which is thoroughly in- 
 oculated undoubtedly would require less seed if un- 
 hulled seed is used is required about five pounds more 
 seed per acre. The experience of the writer has been 
 that hulled seed gives the best results and it is more 
 desirable. 
 
 24 
 
The complaint of seed not germinating properly 
 is a point which is fully covered by the Farmers' Bulle- 
 tin and a remedy given which is of great interest and 
 is herewith given in full: "A lesser weight of seed 
 would be sufficient were it not for the fact that often 
 one-half of the seed has such hard seed coats that it 
 does not germinate the first season and therefore is 
 practically useless. This retarded germination of the 
 hard seed can be overcome by soaking the seed in 
 commercial concentrated sulphuric acid for half an 
 hour. It should then be quickly washed, using running 
 water, if possible, as sulphuric acid becomes very hot 
 when mixed with a small proportion of water. A 
 great deal of water is therefore necessary in order to 
 lessen the danger of burning. The seed should then 
 be dried off quickly by spreading it out on a floor or 
 canvas and stirring at intervals." 
 
 The acid corrodes or eats away the hard, imper- 
 meable seed coat sufficiently to enable the seed to 
 absorb enough moisture to germinate. This method 
 has been investigated by Prof. H. L. Bolley of the 
 North Dakota Agricultural Experimental Station. 
 Tests made in the Department of Agriculture gave an 
 increase in germination of 40 to 45 per cent. Great 
 care must be exercised when working with sulphuric 
 acid, as it burns the flesh and any wooden objects 
 badly, and is especially dangerous to have around in 
 the presence of children. The vessels used for treat- 
 ing the seed should be of earthen or enameled ware 
 to prevent corrosion by the acid. After the seed is 
 treated it should be preferably sown promptly, as it 
 has a tendency to dry out after the coat has been eaten 
 oft* by the acid, but it can be held for two weeks or a 
 month under favorable conditions without any con- 
 siderable deterioration. This method is still in the 
 experimental state, and many details presumably re- 
 main to be worked out in actual practice. The ini- 
 ported seed is always hulled, while that grown in this 
 
 25 
 
country may not be hulled, owing to the fact that it is 
 often gathered by hand locally and usually in a quan- 
 tity too small to make it practicable to have it run 
 through a huller. When starting a permanent pasture 
 it is best to seed two years in succession at first, in 
 order that there may be a number of 1-year-old plants 
 ready to take the place of the 2-year-old plants, which 
 mature seed and die. 
 
 Hard seed is present in nearly every sample, but 
 is more abundant in southern-grown than in northern- 
 grown seed. In commercial samples the proportion 
 sometimes runs as high as 90 per cent, the lesser pro- 
 portion in imported seed than in either the native 
 northern or southern-grown seed is possibly due to 
 the fact that much of the imported seed is more than 
 one year old. Table 1 show^s the percentages of hard 
 seed found in samples of Sweet Clover from different 
 sources. 
 
 TABLE 1. Percentages of hard seed found in Sweet 
 Clover from different sources. 
 
 SOURCE OF SEED 
 
 No. of 
 Samples 
 
 AVERAGE PER CENT 
 
 Germination 
 
 Hard Seed 
 
 Southern . . .... 
 
 60 
 43 
 12 
 
 22 
 22 
 
 28 
 
 14 
 
 Northern 
 
 Imported 
 
 87 
 
 56 
 
 26 
 
Chapter VI 
 TREATMENT OF HARD SEED 
 
 The low per cent of germinating seed in Sweet 
 Qover has been a serious problem to overcome, but 
 this has been largely taken care of by the invention 
 of a machine which successfuly treats the seed and 
 by the use of it the germination is increased as much 
 as 50 per cent and in some cases the germination has 
 been reported increased from 10 per cent to 90 per 
 cent. 
 
 The low percentage of germination in Sweet 
 Clover seed is caused by the large percentage of hard 
 seed. Hard seed have dense or thick seed coats, which 
 prevent the proper absorption of water even when 
 placed under perfect condition for germination, and 
 hence, when planted in the field, they are unable to 
 grow immediately. It is generally agreed that hard 
 seed are worthless so far as their value for producing 
 a stand under general field conditions is concerned. 
 In various tests, hard seeds have been planted under 
 ideal conditions for germination for months and even 
 years without growing. Numerous tests conducted by 
 botanists and agronomists of the United States show 
 that the seed coats of a considerable portion of the 
 hard seed will gradually soften and that they will 
 germinate after several weeks, months or years, but 
 not in time to be of any practical value to the farmer. 
 
 The greatest care should be exercised in buying 
 Sweet Clover seed as the germination is often uncer- 
 
 27 
 
tain and the seed high in price. Buyers are apt to 
 judge the quality, probable germination, by color and 
 appearance of seed. Often very fancy-appearing seed 
 is low in germination due to the hard seeds, and it is 
 due to this fact that you should insist on knowing 
 whether the seed has been treated by a scarifying 
 machine. Sweet Clover, which promises to become 
 one of the most important legumes, is noted for the 
 large number of seeds which are hard. Very few 
 samples of Sweet Clover will germinate more than 
 50 per cent before being treated. Many farmers are 
 now buying and using sweet clover as a farm crop, 
 and are annually expending thousands of dollars in 
 purchasing seed, sowing from 20 to 25 pounds to the 
 acre, when half this quantity of high-testing scarified 
 seed would answer and give better results. 
 
 The Experimental Station Reports 
 
 A large number of duplicate seedings were made 
 on the experimental station field during the past sea- 
 son comparing treated and untreated Sweet Clover 
 seed. These were sown on adjoining plats so as to 
 provide as near as possible identical growing condi- 
 tions. Stands which were, if anything, too thick were 
 secured after the seed had been treated, while the 
 same seed, when not treated, failed entirely in produc- 
 ing a stand. An Illinois farmer, for whom the Farm 
 Crops Section treated approximately 3,000 pounds of 
 seed, states in a letter that seed which germinated 
 only 50 per cent when sent to Ames, germinated 98 
 per cent when returned. An Iowa farmer, who used 
 some of this seed, secured a perfect stand by using 
 only five pounds of the treated seed per acre instead 
 of the usual 20 to 30 pounds of untreated seed per 
 acre. 
 
 When you consider the increase in germination 
 and the fact that scarified seed is much surer of mak- 
 ing a stand, it is not wise to use any seed but the best- 
 
 28 
 
treated stock. The A. A. Berry Seed Co. have in- 
 stalled one of the latest and most efficient scarifying 
 machines on the market and are in position to furnish 
 their customers with scarified seed at all times. They 
 have given much study to the Sweet Clover seed propo- 
 sition and are well versed on the methods of growing 
 and nature of the plant, and for this reason are well 
 prepared to take extra good care of their customers. 
 The writer wishes to emphasize the importance of 
 using scarified seed and would advise sowing no seed 
 that had not first been treated. 
 
 SOME TESTS BY AMES COLLEGE ON SCARIFYING SEED. 
 
 Showing Its Effectiveness as Measured 
 and Untreated Sweet 
 
 by the Germination of Treated 
 Clover Seed. 
 
 Date of Test 
 
 Kind of Seed 
 
 Germination 
 
 Before 
 
 Treating 
 
 Germination 
 
 After 
 
 Treating 
 
 Once 
 
 Dec. 13, 1913 
 
 Dec. 20, 1913 
 
 Dec. 20, 1913 
 
 Dec. 20, 1913 
 
 Dec. 24, 1913 
 
 Dec. 24, 1913 
 
 Jan. 15, 1914 
 
 Jan. 15, 1914 
 
 Nov. 7, 1914 
 
 Nov. 7, 1914 
 
 Dec. 25, 1914 
 
 Dec. 25, 1914 
 
 Dec. 25, 1914. o 
 
 Dec. 25, 1914 
 
 Dec. 25, 1914 
 
 Dec. 25, 1914 
 
 Dec. 25, 1914 
 
 Dec. 25, 1914 
 
 Tan. 22, 1915 
 
 Jan. 22, 1915 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Unhulled 
 
 Unhulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Unhulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 Unhulled 
 
 Hulled 
 
 36 
 37 
 9 
 9 
 37 
 37 
 35 
 10 
 37 
 37 
 37 
 37 
 37 
 37 
 37 
 37 
 37 
 37 
 36 
 50 
 
 92 
 95 
 
 95 
 
 90 
 95 
 93 
 89 
 89 
 94 
 95 
 96 
 94 
 93 
 93 
 96 
 96 
 96 
 89 
 97 
 
 29 
 
Chapter VII 
 
 INOCULATION AND FERTILIZA- 
 TION 
 
 All leguminous plants require inoculation to insure 
 the best growth. However, this does not mean that 
 it is always necessary to inoculate the soil before seed- 
 ing, but quite the contrary, for in most cases the soil 
 already is sufficiently inoculated so as to produce satis- 
 factory results. Where you already find Sweet Clover 
 growing along the roadside in all probability the fields 
 nearby are inoculated, so that the plant will grow 
 successfuly. In sections where Clover and Alfalfa 
 grow successfully you can assume that Sweet Clover 
 would grow without any further inoculation. Alfalfa 
 and Sweet Clover require the same bacteria, so that 
 Alfalfa land is properly inoculated for Sweet Clover 
 and vice versa. Sweet Clover is now often used 
 for the inoculation of fields, preparatory to sowing 
 Alfalfa. And where Alfalfa will not grow success- 
 fully Sweet Clover is a splendid crop to grow to in- 
 oculate for Alfalfa, as it not only inoculates the soil, 
 but has a large tap root, which makes a vigorous 
 growth, and has a tendency to break up the compact 
 sub-soil which in many cases is the cause of Alfalfa 
 not doing well, and thus making it dwindle and die 
 out after the first or second year. 
 
 There are two ways of inoculation, one known 
 as the soil-transfer method, and the other the pure- 
 
 30 
 
culture method. The inoculation by soil-transfer 
 method is the most commonly practiced, and also is 
 the most satisfactory. This method is very simple and 
 is not difficult to follow, although it is a little more 
 laborious and there is one objection which should not 
 be forgotten, and that is to get soil which is free from 
 noxious weeds, insect or plant enemies, for you might 
 introduce some pest on your land which would be 
 hard to exterminate. 
 
 In order to inoculate by the soil-transfer method 
 it is necessary to secure soil from a good, healthy 
 Sweet Clover field or from the roadside where it may 
 be found growing, or from an Alfalfa field. It re- 
 quires about 200 to 400 pounds of soil to the acre, 
 which should be scattered over the field just before 
 seeding, and after the soil is scattered it should be irn- 
 mediately covered by harrowing, for the sun's rays will 
 kill the bacteria germ if left exposed for any length 
 of time. The soil, if fine, can be sowed broadcast by 
 hand, or with an end-gate seeder, or it may be put on 
 the ground with a manure spreader. Another way 
 which might be very practical is to fasten a long 
 narrow box on the front of the harrow, with a slat 
 bottom, leaving openings sufficiently large so that the 
 soil may scatter out, thus distributing the soil and 
 harrowing it in at the same operation. The soil could 
 also be put in the field with a drill that has a fer- 
 tilizer attachment. It is also suggested that it would 
 be a good plan to take a small portion of the soil and 
 mix with the seed at the time of sowing, but this is 
 not necessary if the soil has been well distributed 
 before seeding. 
 
 If it is difficult to obtain soil and it cannot be 
 procured to advantage, except in small quantities, this 
 plan may be followed : Take equal parts of seed and 
 soil and dampen the seed and scatter it out on a srnooth 
 surface and scatter the soil over the seed by sifting 
 and the dampened seed v/ill catch the soil and as soon 
 
 31 
 
as the seed has dried sufficiently to sow it should be 
 seeded. 
 
 The pure-culture method is more easily done than 
 the soil-transfer method and it has the advantage of 
 preventing the introduction of harmful weeds or pest 
 on the farm and is now recognized as the most prac- 
 tical way of inoculating. The culture is manufactured 
 at different places and can be secured from nearly all 
 seedsmen, and full directions are given with each bot- 
 tle or package. The nodule germ manufactured and 
 sold by the A. A. Berry Seed Company is one of 
 the best cultures on the market and is very reasonable 
 in price, and is to be recommended. The culture 
 comes in a liquid form generally, and when using it 
 dilute the culture with a sufficient quantity of water 
 and then mix thoroughly with good, clean soil, 
 which may be taken from the field you intend to 
 sowsow and the treated soil is handled in the 
 same manner as when inoculation is made by the 
 soil transfer method. Culture is also used in inoculat- 
 ing the seed where no soil is used. The culture is 
 prepared according to directions given with it, and 
 the seed is moistened with the culture, so that each 
 seed is affected, but care should be used not to soak 
 the seed. As soon as the seed is sufficiently dry for 
 handling it should be planted. You should not wait 
 any great length of time, for the nodule bacteria will 
 soon die. Seed which has been treated should never 
 be exposed to the rays of the sun when drying. 
 
 The matter of fertihzing the soil before sowing 
 ■Sweet Clover is a point of little importance, for it 
 has already been found that it will grow on the poor- 
 est soil; also on the limetsone hills and quarries, in 
 the sand and clay, but like Alfalfa in this respect it 
 will make its best growth on good, rich soil and when 
 it has access to plenty of moisture. The fact that 
 Sweet Clover is such an excellent fertilizer in itself 
 there is little need of applying any commercial fer- 
 
 32 
 
tilizer. It would be far better to grow Sweet Clover 
 on the thin, worn-out land and build it up with the 
 plant and then apply the fertilizer on the soil in con- 
 nection with the crop which is to be grown following 
 the Sweet Clover. Just what fertilizer would be best 
 to use in connection with Sweet Clover is hard to say, 
 for there have been but very few tests along this line. 
 It, "however, is necessary to have some lime in the soil 
 to grow it successfully, although it is growing on soil 
 which is very deficient in lime and does not contain 
 sufficient to grow other crops to advantage. If you 
 wish to grow Sweet Clover on soil which has been 
 depleted of lime, or in fact worn out, not cropped out, 
 for in this case it is a matter of restoring nitrogen, 
 which the plant itself will do, but if depleted of lime 
 it would be well to use lime as a fertilizer, the quan- 
 tity depending upon the soil. 
 
 The matter of fertilizing is little known to the 
 western farmers, for the rich soil in the Mississippi 
 and Missouri valleys has produced such excellent crops 
 and has withstood constant farming, so that they do 
 not feel the need of fertilizer. However, with the 
 Eastern and Southern farmers it is different, for they 
 contemplate the use of fertilizer with nearly all crops. 
 Sweet Clover will be a great boon to them in this re- 
 spect, for they will be able to build up their land 
 cheaply and at the same time harvest large, paying 
 crops, which will add wealth to the country. 
 
Chapter VIII 
 VALUE AS A HAY CROP 
 
 Sweet Clover may be utilized as a hay crop, for 
 it makes a valuable feed for all kinds of stock, and 
 as it is a heavy producer it v^ill prove a splendid for- 
 age crop for this purpose. In the North, where 
 Sweet Clover is seeded in the spring, you can make 
 one cutting of hay about the first of October. The 
 first year it will make a growth from twenty to thirty 
 inches, and as it does not seed the first year it will 
 make a very heavy growth of from twenty to thirty 
 leaves, and it also makes an unusual root development, 
 sending the tap root down as much as four feet. In 
 this root it stores a large amount of reserve food ma- 
 terial and makes a very vigorous growth the following 
 season. 
 
 In the South, where the seasons are longer, two 
 cuttings can be made the first year, but in most parts 
 of the country only one cutting is expected. In the 
 Northern States the first crop is cut at about the 
 time we begin to have frost, and a slight frost will do 
 no damage to the quality of the hay. When mowing 
 in the fall it can be cut close to the ground, with no 
 bad effects, for it will not winter kill and will come 
 forth early in the spring and start with a rapid 
 growth. 
 
 The hay should be cut when there is no dew on 
 the plant, for the plant is of a succulent nature and 
 
 34 
 
is rather difficult to cure. It is considered a little 
 harder to cure than either Clover or Alfalfa, and 
 care must be used in properly curing the plant if the 
 most is to be gotten out of it for feeding. The best 
 way to cure after cutting and allowing it to wilt is 
 to rake it into large windrows and allow it to cure 
 in the windrow, but if in doubt about the advisability 
 of leaving in the windrow more than a day it may 
 be put into shocks and allowed to stand until properly 
 cured for stacking or putting in the barn. It would 
 be well to put it into small shocks, so that when load- 
 ing them on a wagon they could be lifted intact by 
 the pitchers. 
 
 It is not difficult to cure Sweet Clover in the 
 shock, and if the weather is unsettled it may be cut 
 in the morning, after the dew is gone, and put in 
 the shock the same day. If the shocks are well built 
 it will turn water nicely, and little damage will be 
 done. Sweet Clover may be cut and allowed to re- 
 main in the swath until the second day, but care rnust 
 be used in handHng it, that it does not get too dry and 
 lose the leaves, for they are the most valuable part for 
 feed. It is always best to properly cure hay before 
 stacking or putting in the barn, for if put in too green 
 there is danger of moulding or spontaneous combus- 
 tion. Fires of this nature are quite common with 
 Clover and Alfalfa, and while the writer does not re- 
 call any instances of this complaint in regard to Sweet 
 Clover it no doubt would happen if many barns were 
 filled with it in the green stage. 
 
 The second year the hay crop is handled in about 
 the same way, with the exception of cutting. Sweet 
 Clover has been condemned on account of not know- 
 ing how to properly handle it. The hay crop could 
 easily be ruined by allowing it to grow too long, for 
 soon after it blooms the stem becomes very hard and 
 woody and is of little value for feed. It is just as 
 necessary to understand Sweet Clover and know its 
 
 35 
 
habits, if a success is to be made in growing it, as it 
 is necessary to know how to handle any other crop. 
 Any one will admit that the wheat crop in many states 
 could be lost if allowed to stand until it has shattered 
 before cutting. The same thing is true with Sweet 
 Clover. AMien grown by the inexperienced it has been 
 allowed to stand until it bloomed and become a hard. 
 bushy plant of little feed value. 
 
 The plant should be cut the second year, at the 
 time it begins to form bloom buds, probably about 
 the middle of June in this latitude. A very important 
 point about cutting Sweet Clover at this time is not 
 to cut it close, or it will die out, and that will be the 
 end of the crop. The fact that it is a biennial should 
 always be kept in mind. It is necessary to cut it quite 
 high, so as to leave some of the branches and leaves, 
 for then it will start up and make a second crop, which 
 can be again cut for hay or allowed to stand and make 
 seed. However, in either case, this ends the plant, and 
 it is necessary to reseed the ground if you wish to 
 continue growing Sweet Clover on the same land. The 
 binder is often used in cutting Sweet Clover, so as 
 not to cut it too low, and when binding it should be 
 bound in small bundles, which may be put into small 
 shocks of three or four bundles each, and there re- 
 main until properly cured. It will not take long for 
 the bundles to cure, and it then may be stacked the 
 same as oats or any other grain. Care should be used 
 in handling, so as to retain all the leaf possible, for 
 it is the most valuable part of the hay. The second 
 crop is sometimes pastured lightly, so as to allow part 
 of it to go to seed, and in this way the crop will come 
 on the following year from the seed which has been 
 left on the ground. 
 
 There is a wide range when it comes to the quan- 
 tity of hay that may be produced from an acre, for 
 this varies in dilTerent sections and depends quite 
 largely upon weather conditions and fertility of the 
 
 36 
 
soil the same as any other crop. The first year the 
 yield runs from one to two tons per acre of cured 
 hay and the second year the yield will be more, aver- 
 aging from two to three tons per acre. There are 
 some instances where it has made much larger yields, 
 and if the soil is fertile and there is sufficient moisture 
 a heavier yield may be expected. When tested at the 
 Utah Experiment Station it made more than double 
 the yield of any of the clover or grasses with which it 
 was compared. 
 
 The value of Sweet Clover hay is appreciated 
 when it is found by analysis that it contains more 
 digestible protein than Alfalfa hay and it is claimed 
 that a ton of Alfalfa hay is equal to a ton of bran in 
 feeding value ; so this puts Sweet Clover at the head 
 of the Hst when it comes to the real value of its hay. 
 
 The chief complaint that is heard in connection 
 with feeding Sweet Clover is that stock refuse to eat 
 it. This is true to a certain extent, but is very easily 
 overcome, and no one need be afraid that their stock 
 is any exception and they will not eat it, for it is only 
 a matter of getting accustomed to it, and after they 
 once form a taste for the hay it will be difficult to keep 
 them from it. Sweet Clover has a bitter taste, due to 
 cumarin, which at first causes animals to refuse to eat 
 it, but it should be remembered that range horses that 
 have never seen corn refuse to eat it, but are just as 
 fond of it as the native horses after once accustomed 
 to it. Stock are not much different from people in 
 this respect, for the writer has the first person to see 
 that likes olives when first tasted, but as a rule most 
 people develop a taste for them. Now, do not gather 
 from this comparison that Sweet Clover is as ob- 
 jectionable in taste to stock as olives are to the aver- 
 age person, for such is not the case, for all kinds of 
 stock, without exception, learn to eat Sweet Clover 
 and prefer it to other feed. (A farmer here in Nevada 
 told me that stock would leave the Alfalfa and brouse 
 
 37 
 
on the dry Sweet Clover that grows here uncultivated 
 and very luxuriantly. E. M. S.) Here is an extract 
 taken from the Farmers' Bulletin on this question: 
 "Shippers of cattle from the arid sections of the west, 
 where com is unknown, often have difficulty in get- 
 ting the stock to eat fodder or even corn. The specific 
 instance has come under observation where the cattle 
 were fed corn with the dried husks attached where- 
 upon they ate off the husks and left the com uneaten. 
 When these same cattle were turned on the green 
 grass the following season instead of eating the new 
 growth they contented themselves with browsing off 
 the dead stalks of the preceding season's growth, 
 which presumably more closely resembled the desert 
 grasses to which they were accustomed." 
 
 When cow peas were first tested out the same 
 question of stock eating it came up. It was the belief 
 that stock would not eat it, but it was soon found that 
 such was a mistake. It has also been proven that 
 stock will eat Sweet Colver, and that it is one of the 
 most valuable of the forage crops to the stock grower. 
 
 Sweet Clover hay is valued very highly by the 
 dairymen, and they find it makes splendid feed for 
 dairying purposes. The results where it has been 
 tested out are very flattering, and it has been found 
 that the cattle would leave Red Clover hay to eat 
 Sweet Clover. When fed to milch cows it had a ten- 
 dency to increase the flow of milk, and the cows kept 
 in the best of condition. It gives the milk no un- 
 pleasant taste and it is considered an ideal feed for 
 the dairyman, for it contains a large amount of pro- 
 tein and can be produced more cheaply than it can be 
 secured in any other way. 
 
 It also makes splendid hay for horses and is much 
 more desirable than Clover hay and is fully equal to 
 Alfalfa hay, and they will eat it just as readily after 
 having been accustomed to it. Sweet Clover hay is 
 
 38 
 
recommended very highly for sheep and young stock 
 of all kinds, and there is no bad effect due to feeding, 
 but on the other hand it keeps stock in good condition 
 and should be considered the greatest feed obtainable. 
 
 There is little difficulty experienced in getting 
 stock to eat Sweet Clover hay when properly cured, 
 but should they refuse to eat it when hungry you can 
 overcome this very easily by sprinkling some brine on 
 the hay at about the time they are due to be salted, 
 and this will start them eating it and you will not be 
 required to repeat this operation very often. 
 
 39 
 
Chapter IX 
 VALUE AS A PASTURE 
 
 When Sweet Clover is desired for pasture pur- 
 poses it is seeded in practically the same manner as 
 for hay, with the exception that more seed is required, 
 in order to obtain a heavy stand. On account of the 
 plant being a biennial it is also necessary to seed the 
 ground the following spring with about half as much 
 seed as was used in the first seeding. A disk drill 
 can be used to advantage seeding this time, or the 
 land may be disked and after the seed is sowed slightly 
 harrowed or dragged. The disking and dragging will 
 not injure the crop already on the ground, and by 
 handling in this manner you should have a permanent 
 pasture, if not pastured too close, for there will be 
 enough go to seed each year to reseed itself and have 
 a continuous stand. 
 
 When seeded for pasture Sweet Clover is gener- 
 ally seeded without a nurse crop, for then you can 
 turn the stock on it just as soon as it gets up four or 
 five inches high. It is best to turn the stock upon it 
 while young, for it contains less cumarin and they 
 will learn to eat it without difficulty. It is also well 
 to pasture it, for it causes more shoots to start up, 
 making much better pasture than to allow it to grow 
 up coarse and become woody. The first season it is 
 not necessary to allow it to grow up, for it may be 
 pastured close to the ground, as it will not be damaged 
 and will come on again very early in the spring. One 
 
 40 
 
of the great advantages of Sweet Clover as a pasture 
 is the fact of its coming on earher in the spring than 
 any other grass, with the possible exception of Alfalfa, 
 and in two weeks' time; on account of its more rapid 
 growth it is even ahead of Alfalfa. The easiest way 
 to have stock become accustomed to eating Sweet 
 Clover is by turning them on to the pasture early in 
 the spring before other green grass has started. By 
 doing this they form an appetite for the plant, eating 
 it with great relish, and you will have no further 
 trouble along this line. 
 
 Sweet Clover pasture is adapted to all kinds of 
 stock; horses, cattle, sheep, hogs and chickens do 
 equally well on it. It is better to keep enough stock 
 on the pasture to eat it off closely enough so as to 
 cause it to form an abundance of new shoots, as you 
 will get more feed off the pasture and stock will 
 relish the tender plants much more. But you must 
 remember the second year it is necessary to let it 
 grow up enough in the fall, so as to form seed and 
 re-seed itself. It can be pastured lightly through 
 August and September, but if no seed is allowed to 
 form it will not continue long as a pasture. 
 
 There are two great advantages of Sweet Clover 
 as a pasture, and that is it comes on earlier than other 
 green feed and it does not cause bloating of stock as 
 do Clover and Alfalfa. This is due to the cumarin, 
 the bitter principle which the plant possesses, which 
 is of great importance to the stock raiser. Cumarin 
 has been used by druggists and physicians for thou- 
 sands of years as a corrective, tonic and curative for 
 intestinal disorders, and on this account it is con- 
 sidered extra fine for pasture, as stock keep in the best 
 of health and condition when pasturing on it. Stock 
 make great gains on Sweet Clover pasture. It is fully 
 equal to either Clover or Afalfa. Another advantage 
 of Sweet Clover is that it will grow on soil that would 
 not grow other grasses sufficiently to secure much 
 
 41 
 
feed. But Sweet Clover will make a good growth on 
 poor soil, affording the best pasture for all kinds 
 of stock and at the same time add humus to the soil, 
 building it up and fertilizing it to such an extent that 
 other crops may be grown successfully when ready to 
 rotate crops. Sweet Clover is to be recommended to 
 the sheep grower, especially of the West, for this plant 
 will grow on thin, barren waste land, enduring the hot, 
 dry summers, and will make a great amount of the 
 best green feed. By careful experiments it has been 
 found that sheep make great gains when allowed to 
 graze upon it, there being no feed better adapted to 
 them. 
 
 Sweet Clover is also excellent for hog pasture, 
 as it is more hardy than Alfalfa, easier to secure a 
 stand and will stand more abuse. Close pasturing 
 the first season will do it no harm, and it will come 
 on so very early the second season, making such ex- 
 cellent feed that it is a very paying crop, even if you 
 do not care to continue the pasture as a permanent 
 meadow. You can either re-seed the pasture or allow 
 it to make sufficient growth so as to re-seed itself. 
 No land will bring larger returns to the hog raiser 
 than Sweet Clover, for it is a protein producer — just 
 what the stock grower is looking for. 
 
 Another way it can be used to good advantage 
 as a pasture crop, especialy for hogs, is by having 
 the field divided and seeding both fields the first year 
 and the second year re-seed one of the fields, so that 
 they will alternate. By turning off one field early, so 
 as to allow it to make growth sufficiently to re-seed 
 itself, the other field can be pastured until late. The 
 next fall reverse the order and allow it to re-seed 
 itself and the former field may be pastured late, and 
 thus alternate the field and have late pasture, as well 
 as early. If desired one field may be turned off early 
 enough to allow it to make a seed crop and generally 
 in harvesting a seed crop there is enough seed that 
 
 42 
 
will shatter out so as to re-seed itself. Then stock 
 may be turned in on the field in the fall, as the tramp- 
 ing will put the seed in the ground, so that it will 
 make a good crop the following year. There is a 
 decided place for Sweet Clover as a pasture and the 
 worth of it in this respect will be appreciated more 
 when the plant is better understood and the method 
 of handling it worked out so as to overcome any objec- 
 tions which might be offered at the present time. 
 
 43 
 
Chapter X 
 SCIENTIFIC FEED VALUE 
 
 There is considerable discussion as to the value of 
 Sweet Clover as a feed, and this point can only be 
 settled to the individual by giving it careful tests and 
 feeding it in comparison with other feeds and watch 
 results. The present growers of Sweet Clover are 
 very enthusiastic and the agricultural writers cannot 
 praise the plant too highly. In this connection it is 
 our desire to give what the government has to say, 
 and a report is here given as contained in Farmers' 
 Bulletin 485 : "In common with other legumes Sweet 
 Clover contains a relatively high percentage of protein, 
 thus making it a source of this valuable constituent 
 of farm feeds." Tables 2 and 3 show the relative 
 composition of several different kinds of feed. 
 
 TABLE 2. Average percentage composition of Sweet 
 Clover and other forage feeds and value of same per ton. 
 
 KIND OF FORAGE 
 
 I a 
 
 wt5 
 
 Fresh Sweet Clov* 
 Fresh Alfalfa .... 
 Fresh Red Clover 
 Sweet Clover hay. 
 
 Alfalfa hay 
 
 Red Clover hay. . . 
 
 Timothy hay 
 
 Cow Pea hay. . . . . 
 
 77.0 
 71.8 
 70.8 
 7.7 
 8.4 
 15.3 
 13.2 
 10.7 
 
 1.8 
 2.7 
 2.1 
 
 7.5 
 7.4 
 6.2 
 4.4 
 7.5 
 
 4.8 
 4.4 
 13.3 
 14.3 
 12.3 
 6.9 
 16.6 
 
 7.4 
 8.1 
 26.9 
 25.0 
 24.3 
 29.0 
 20.1 
 
 9.4 
 12.8 
 13.5 
 42.6 
 42.7 
 38.1 
 45.0 
 42.2 
 
 0.6 
 1.0 
 1.1 
 2.1 
 2.2 
 8.8 
 2.5 
 2.2 
 
 44 
 
TABLE 3. Digestible nutrients in Sweet Clover and other 
 forage crops and feeds and value of same per ton. 
 
 KINDS OF FORAGE 
 
 Dry 
 Matter 
 in 100 
 Pounds 
 
 Digestible Nutrients in 
 100 Pounds 
 
 OR FEED 
 
 Protein 
 
 Carbo- 
 hydrates 
 
 Ether 
 Extract 
 
 Value 
 
 per Ton 
 
 Feed 
 
 Sweet Clover Hay 
 
 Alfalfa Hay . 
 
 92.4 
 91.6 
 
 84.7 
 86.8 
 89.3 
 88.1 
 89.1 
 
 9.0 
 11.0 
 
 6.8 
 
 2.6 
 
 10.8 
 
 13.2 
 
 7.9 
 
 38.1 
 39.6 
 35.8 
 48.4 
 38.6 
 39.3 
 66.7 
 
 1.2 
 1.2 
 1.7 
 1.4 
 1.1 
 2.7 
 4.3 
 
 $18.49 
 20.16 
 
 Red Clover Hay 
 
 Timothy Hay 
 
 14.12 
 
 9.80 
 
 19.76 
 
 Wheat Bran 
 
 Shelled Corn 
 
 23.80 
 20.16 
 
 The values per pound assigned as the basis of 
 calculation of the value of the degistible nutrients in 
 a ton of the feed as given in table 3 are protein, 
 $0.0674; carbohydrates (starch, etc.), $0.0064; ether 
 extract (fats), $0.0112. These figures are merely rela- 
 tive, as the prices of the food elements vary in different 
 sections of the country and from year to year. It will 
 be noted that the value of Sweet Clover hay on the 
 above basis would be almost double that of timothy 
 and intermediate between red clover and alfalfa, and 
 taht the actual market prices of the different feeds 
 bear litle relation to their theoretical value. 
 
 Feeding Experiments with Sweet 
 Clover 
 
 A great many farmers have reported successful 
 experiments in feeding Sweet Clover to live stock, 
 but relatively few of the experimental stations have 
 performed definite feeding experiments to determine 
 the exact value of Sweet Clover hay as compared with 
 other crops. The Wyoming Experiment Station, how- 
 ever, performed an interesting experiment with lambs. 
 A number of pens of from ten to forty lambs each 
 were fed different mixtures of feeds for fourteen 
 weeks. Those receiving Sweet Clover hay, corn and 
 a small amount of oil meal made an average gain of 
 
 45 
 
30.7 pounds per head as compared with 20.3 pounds of 
 those reeciying native grass hay, oats and oil meal. 
 Those receiving alfalfa and corn made a gain of 34.4 
 pounds per head. The details of the experiment with 
 four of the pens of lambs are given in table 4. 
 
 TABLE 4. Showing results of feeding tests with lambs. 
 
 
 II 
 
 Average 
 Gain per 
 
 Head in lbs. 
 
 for 14 Weeks 
 
 Pounds of Feed Required for 
 Pounds of Gain 
 
 -i 
 
 RATION 
 
 Sweet 
 
 Clover 
 
 Hay 
 
 Native 
 Hay 
 
 Alfalfa 
 Hay 
 
 Corn 
 
 Oats 
 
 S3 
 
 3 
 
 Sweet C 1 0- 
 ver, h ;i y, 
 corn, 1 ] 
 meal 
 
 10 
 
 fiO 7 
 
 687.5 
 
 
 
 293.2 
 
 460.6 
 
 20.5 
 
 Native 
 grass, hay, 
 oats, 1 1 
 meal 
 
 Alfalfa 
 hay, corn . 
 
 Alfalfa 
 hay, corn . 
 
 40 1 20.3 
 10 S4 4 
 
 606.7 
 
 657.7 
 557.3 
 
 25.0 
 
 40 
 
 S4.8 
 
 
 
 
 
 The Sweet Clover hay used in this experiment 
 was stated to be stemmy in its nature and more than 
 a year old. It is of interest to know that in spite of its 
 steminess the hay was eaten up close by the lambs. 
 
 At the Iowa Agricultural College a grazing ex- 
 periment with young shoats was made comparing 
 Sweet Clover and Red Clover. The details of this 
 experiment are shown in table 5. 
 
 TABLE 5. Comparative results of pasturing pigs on 
 Sweet Clover and Red Clover. 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 ill 
 
 
 n for 
 re Lot 
 Acre 
 ounds 
 
 equired for 
 
 ounds of 
 n addition 
 sturage) 
 ounds 
 
 O 
 Q 
 
 
 ^(^^ 
 
 i3|r 
 
 ainR 
 100 P 
 ain (] 
 to pa 
 P 
 
 M 
 
 Ph 
 
 
 
 5 '^ 
 
 Sweet Clover 
 
 1? 
 
 1.02 
 
 2,594 
 
 838 
 
 Red Qover.. 
 
 15 1 
 
 1.14 
 
 2,894 
 
 838 
 
 46 
 
The results of these technical experiments are 
 thoroughly substantiated by numerous private feeding 
 tests in various sections of the country. Hundreds 
 of fat cattle which have been fed almost exclusively 
 on Sweet Clover hay as a roughage in central Utah 
 are marketed annually. From certain sections of 
 western Iowa steers have been turned off fat from 
 Sweet Clover pasture and have brought $1.00 per 
 hundred weight premium over the ordinary grass pas- 
 tured stock marketed from the same locality. 
 
 In a feeding experiment with sheep, conducted 
 by two students at the Iowa Agricultural College, it 
 was found that the protein digested in Sweet Clover 
 fed alone was 69 per cent, and that the addition of 
 corn to the hay ration increased the digestibility of 
 Sweet Clover to 82 per cent. (See table 6.) Alfalfa 
 and Red Clover showed similar increases in the digesti- 
 bility of their protein content when corn was added 
 to the ration. The percentage of digestibility figured 
 for the protein in the corn was the average of a num- 
 ber of digestion experiments. The probability is that 
 the digestibility of the corn was also increased by the 
 presence of the hay in the ration, so that not all the 
 increase in the digestibility should be credited to the 
 hay constituents of the different rations. 
 
 TABLE 6. Comparative percentage digestible of protein 
 
 and of dry matter in Sweet Clover, in Alfalfa 
 
 and in Red Clover. 
 
 
 Percentage 
 
 Digestible 
 
 RATION 
 
 Protein 
 
 Dry Matter 
 
 Sweet Clover — 
 
 69 
 82 
 
 70 
 
 88 
 
 46 
 61 
 
 53 
 
 
 74 
 
 Alfalfa— 
 
 When fed alcne 
 
 61 
 
 When fed with corn 
 
 76 
 
 Red Clover— 
 
 When fed alone 
 
 49 
 
 When f^d with corn 
 
 61 
 
 47 
 
Chapter XI 
 VALUE AS A FERTILIZER 
 
 Sweet Clover undoubtedly has more commercial 
 value as a soil restorative than in any other way. This 
 is the great advantage of the plant, as it can be used 
 in every state in the Union for this purpose, and thus 
 replaces a great amount of wealth which has already 
 been taken from the soil. 
 
 One great feature of Sweet Clover is that it 
 grows on all kinds of soil and in all latitudes. While 
 it is good for the Southern farmer it is equally as 
 good for the Northern farmer, and while it adds great 
 wealth to the Eastern farmer with his limestone hills 
 and soil of an acid nature it is fully as good for the 
 Western farmer, with his dry, barren wastes of sand 
 and alkali. Taking the plant as a whole it has no com- 
 parison, as it is adapted to a wide range of conditions 
 and will do well for everyone if he will only give it the 
 opportunity. Cow Peas are good for the Southern 
 farmer, but they cannot be grown successfully in the 
 North, as they are a Southern plant. Clover grows 
 well in the eastern half of the United States, but this 
 is not true in the West. Alfalfa grows luxuriantly in 
 the West, but not so well in the East. The Canada 
 Field Pea is adapted to the North, but not to the 
 South; but in Sweet Qover we have a forage crop 
 that grows not only successful all over the United 
 States, North to South, East and West, but is being 
 grown to a greater or less extent all over the world. 
 
 48 
 
Undoubtedly it will soon fill the place which was 
 planned for it when creaetd by the Almighty, and it 
 certainly was not intended to be classed as a weed 
 when it is invaluable both as a feed and a fertilizer. 
 
 In the East there are farms which have been 
 abandoned on account of not being able to produce 
 any crops sufficiently large to justify farming. This 
 land lies idle, waiting for nature to replace the ele- 
 ments which have been exhausted. In such cases 
 where land has been completely worn out (not cropped 
 out), and all the nitrogen and humus in the soil ex- 
 hausted, as well as the lime or calcium, it is rather 
 doubtful whether Sweet Clover alone can ever make 
 good fertile soil ; but on the limestone hills or on soil 
 which contains plenty of lime and is not exhausted of 
 its mineral wealth Sweet Clover will replace the nitro- 
 gen and humus and unquestionably will build up the 
 land and reclaim the depleted fields which are of ap- 
 parently little value in their present condition. This 
 is where Sweet Clover will do its greatest good and 
 will meet with a most hearty welcome by all farmers. 
 Not only in the East and South, but throughout the 
 corn belt of the Western States as well, the farmers 
 are beginning to realize that there is need of fertilizing 
 their soil if the most is to be gained from tilling their 
 fields. Clover has been the salvation of the farmer, but 
 this crop is not doing all that could be desired. Often- 
 times there has been much difficulty in obtaining a 
 seeding, and thus on this account rotation of crops has 
 been prevented. 
 
 Sweet Clover works in splendidly as a rotation 
 crop, being a biennial the same as Clover, but it is 
 much easier to obtain a stand of it, for it will endure 
 more drouth. The summer of 1911 was very dry, 
 and in most cases Clover was killed by the continuous 
 dry weather after harvest, while sweet Clover with- 
 stood the drouth and made a very good growth, afford- 
 ing much fall pasture, and in some instances a hay 
 
 49 
 
crop was secured. Sweet Clover can be sowed in the 
 
 spring with a nurse crop, and that season you will 
 grow a crop of grain and one crop of Sweet Clover 
 hay. The second year you can cut two crops for hay 
 and plow under the stubble and stems, which add 
 much humus to the soil, as well as replace the nitrogen. 
 
 Where the land is very much run down the second 
 crop can be plowed under as a green manure crop. 
 This puts the soil in excellent shape for corn the fol- 
 lowing season. You can better appreciate Sweet 
 Clover as a green manure crop when you compare it 
 v^ith Mammoth Clover. The Ontario Experimental 
 Station reports having cut thirty tons of green Sweet 
 Clover per acre, as compared with 13^ tons of Mam- 
 moth Clover which was considered next best for 
 soiling. 
 
 There have been numerous tests made showing 
 the value of Sweet Clover as a fertilizer, and it is 
 considered superior in many ways to all others. At 
 the Ohio Experimental Station a test was made on 
 land which has been sowed to Sweet Clover and a 
 similar field which was not, and the land which had 
 been growing Sweet Clover produced 45 per cent more 
 corn per acre. Similar tests have been made in other 
 places, and it has been found that the same land will 
 produce about 40 per cent more corn when it has been 
 in Sweet Clover than when it has not. 
 
 Sweet Clover always accomplishes good when 
 growing on land, no matter what the nature of the 
 soil. When growing on the thin limestone or gravelly 
 hill it is adding fertility to the soil. When it is grow- 
 ing on the clay hill, which has a very compact sub- 
 soil, it not only adds fertility, but has a tendency to 
 break up the hard sub-soil by its great root system 
 and to open up the ground and establish humus below 
 the surface. Thus the ground is in a better position 
 to grow all kinds of crops, and especially Alfalfa, as 
 its roots will not penetrate a hard sub-soil, and for 
 
 50 
 
this reason in many places it cannot be grown success- 
 fully. When Sweet Clover grows on land which is 
 inclined to be wet or bottom land, commonly known as 
 gumbo, it also has a remedial effect. It has a tendency 
 to open up the soil and let the water go down and dry 
 out the land, which is very important. In the West it 
 will grow on the soil which is strongly impregnated 
 with Alkali, relieving it of that condition, so that after 
 a crop or two of Sweet Clover has been grown on 
 such soil some other field crop may be raised success- 
 fully. 
 
 We find Sweet Clover being used most extensively 
 as a fertilizer in the South and Alabama, Mississippi 
 and Kentucky are states growing it extensively as a 
 field crop, and the demand is rapidly spreading and 
 other states are taking it up. The results are so ap- 
 parent and satisfactory that it requires only a knowl- 
 edge of their success to cause an unusual demand. It 
 is reclaiming vast areas of old, worn-out land which 
 has been cropped to death by continuous farming. One 
 cannot speak too highly of its success. The experience' 
 of the Southern farmer in this regard is unquestionable 
 proof as to the value of the plant as a fertilizer. It is 
 estimated that it produces as much nitrogen and humus 
 making material as is contained in twenty-five loads of 
 average farm manure. 
 
 Sweet Clover is growing in many places on lands 
 which refuse to grow other leguminous plants, and 
 this is the reason it is hailed with such delight. It is 
 the Clover for all purposes, without any restrictions. 
 To fully appreciate the worth of Sweet Clover as a 
 fertilizer all that is required is to sow it on worn-out 
 land and watch closely the results. Here is an extract 
 from the government bulletin : "As an instance of its 
 effect on land it may be mentioned that in Alabama 
 on poor, run-down soil it produced 6,672 pounds of 
 hay per acre the first year and 7,048 pounds the second 
 year, after which the stubble was plowed under and 
 
 61 
 
planted to corn. The corn produced 22.7 bushels per 
 acre, as compared with 16.2 bushels per acre upon 
 an adjoining plat where Sweet Clover had not been 
 grown. The year following a similar experiment in 
 the same section showed the corn to have yielded 28.2 
 bushels on the Sweet Clover stubble land, as compared 
 with 21.2 bushels where cotton instead of Sweet Clover 
 preceded the corn. A total of 11,376 pounds of hay 
 had been cut from the Sweet Clover plats during its 
 two seasons of growth." 
 
 Sweet Clover has one more advantage which is 
 worthy of mention and should not be overlooked. It 
 has proven itself a splendid fertiHzer, but it also holds 
 the soil and prevents washing. Fields which have been 
 washing and were fast becoming badly cut up by 
 ditches and gullies have been saved by sowing with 
 Sweet Clover. By leaving the fields in Sweet Clover 
 pasture or hay a few years washing was stopped and 
 by a natural process fields have been reclaimed which 
 would have become practically ruined by unsightly 
 ditches and gulies. 
 
 52 
 
Chapter XII 
 VALUE AS A SEED CROP 
 
 In very few parts of the country is Sweet Clover 
 grown for a seed crop, although at the present time 
 it would be a very profitable crop, since there is an 
 enormous demand for seed. The production of seed 
 has been insufficient to supply the demand and at times 
 it has been very difficult to obtain seed for sowing. 
 It is not a difficult task to grow the seed, and it; will 
 only be a short time until this part of the industry 
 will be given more attention. 
 
 In growing Sweet Clover it is essential to select 
 the proper species. The demand is largely for the 
 White Blossom Sweet Clover, although there is some 
 demand for the Yellow Blossom. Both are biennial 
 plants, but care should be taken in not confusing the 
 Large Yellow Blossom with the small species known 
 as Indian Sweet Clover, an annual, and not desirable 
 except possibly for special purposes or sections. 
 
 Sweet Clover is now grown for seed in only a 
 few localities, and we find the White Blossom being 
 grown in Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky, Iowa, 
 Kansas, Nebraska and several of the Western States, 
 and to a limited extent in Utah. These states are now 
 producing about all the seed that is offered on the 
 market, but it need not be so, for it will grow and 
 make seed in all states. The Sweet Clover found 
 growing along the roadsides in Iowa is very full of 
 
 53 
 
seed and would yield splendidly if harvested as a seed 
 crop. At the present time the Yellow Blossom is grown 
 principally in Kentucky and Colorado and the small 
 Yellow Annual is grown mostly in southern Califor- 
 nia and possibly in a few of the other Western States. 
 
 When growing Sweet Clover for seed it is better 
 not to sow too thickly, for large yields are obtained. 
 The seed crop is produced the second year, and either 
 the first or second crop may be harvested for seed. It 
 is the writer's experience that in the state of Iowa a 
 larger seed crop may be secured from the first crop, 
 but in harvesting it for seed there is also danger of 
 killing the plant, for if it is well matured and not cut 
 quite high the plant will die. However, in the South 
 the second crop is in most cases utilized for seed. 
 
 Sweet Clover does not all ripen at the same time, 
 for there will be matured seed on the plant while it is 
 still blooming, and for this reason it is a little hard to 
 always know just the proper time for cutting. It 
 should not be allowed to get too ripe, for the seed is 
 inclined to shatter, and it is best to cut while the dew 
 is on or after a shower. In the South it is the common 
 practice to place the Clover in piles and later flail out 
 the seed with sticks on a canvas, but this mode of 
 treatment leaves the hull on the seed, making it less 
 desirable than the hulled seed. However, the hull can 
 be removed by running through a clover huller, or 
 threshing machine with special concaves ; and where a 
 clover huller is available it is best to use it in hulling 
 the Sweet Clover, although the hay is a little coarse 
 and difficult to run through a huller, but if there is 
 not too much stem it can be hulled with a machine. 
 The straw after it has been threshed may be returned 
 to the field for fertilization or it may be used as feed 
 for stock. 
 
 The yield of seed varies from five to fifteen bush- 
 els per acre, depending whether hulled or unhulled. 
 The seed should be well cleaned before being put on 
 
 54 
 
the market, for there is always much inert matter and 
 shrunken seeds which should be removed, for they are 
 practically useless for seeding. The hulled seed is 
 preferable and is generally demanded by most seeds- 
 men. Thus in growing Sweet Clover for market it 
 would be well to provide a huller, so that the most may 
 be gotten out of the crop. The hulled seed gives better 
 results when sowed, for it germinates more readily and 
 often the unhuUed seed will not germinate the first sea- 
 son, but remain in the ground until the second year. 
 
 Since the plant is a prolific seed producer it is easy 
 to see that there is good money in growing it for seed 
 purposes. The market price varies, but of late years 
 the White Blossom hulled, has been selling from $15.00 
 to $20.00 per hundredweight, being higher in price 
 than Alfalfa. The price of the seed should be about 
 the same as Alfalfa seed, but the market will fluctuate 
 from time to time, depending upon the quantity pro- 
 duced and the demand. 
 
 From the testing of samples it has been found 
 that the northern seed is preferable to the southern 
 grown, since it is of stronger vitality and germinates 
 more readily. In the southern grown there is a large 
 percent of hard seed which fail to germinate the first 
 season. Considerable Sweet Clover seed has been 
 imported and the foreign seed gives very good results, 
 showing a good per cent of germination and is adapted 
 to our climate. One thing necessary to watch when 
 buying foreign seed of any kind is not to get some 
 noxious weed and introduce some pest which might be 
 very hard to eradicate. 
 
 The Yellow Annual Sweet Clover is offered more 
 freely on the market, as it is sort of a by-product of 
 the Western farmer. It is screened out of their grain 
 and thus being produced very cheaply it is offered at 
 much lower prices than either one of the White or 
 Yellow biennials. Whenever the Yellow Blossom is 
 offered at a low price it would be well to investigate 
 
 55 
 
before buying and ^^«S fof 'VL'^^nce^'^^^^ 
 nial which IS being offered yo"- , ^.^d is rough, 
 
 SttSfaTL^iShlVnitishuiied. 
 
 56 
 
Chapter XIII 
 WHERE TO OBTAIN SEED 
 
 Sweet Clover seed may be obtained from most 
 any reputable seed company, although it is only of late 
 years that seedsmen have begun to handle it in quanti- 
 ties. It is very important for the buyer to know what 
 species he wants and then see that he gets it. Some 
 seedsmen have not given Sweet Clover the study it 
 deserves and are not familiar with the different species 
 and do not know the value of each, so are not in a posi- 
 tion to give their customers proper information or 
 furnish the variety best adapted to their requirements. 
 
 If you write for prices on Yellow Blossom Sweet 
 Clover see that you get a sample and a price on the 
 biennial and not the annual, for as previously stated 
 the annual has less commercial value. 
 
 There is one reputable Seed House that has made 
 Sweet Clover a special study and on this account are 
 best prepared to serve their customers and are the 
 largest handlers of seed, selling from 15 to 20 cars 
 during a season. I refer to the A. A. Berry Seed 
 Company, Clarinda, Iowa, and take pleasure in recom- 
 mending this concern to everyone who intends to sow 
 Sweet Clover. They are very progressive and are in 
 close touch wath all growers of seed and try to handle 
 only a high grade that should give the best of satisfac- 
 tion. 
 
 57 
 
Furthermore, they are prepared to scarify all of 
 their seed and the writer wishes to emphasize the 
 importance of treated seed. You will find that the 
 germination of their scarified seed has been greatly 
 increased and is by far the best seed to sow. Scarify- 
 ing does not only increase the germination, but makes 
 a crop much more certain, as it germinates quicker 
 and grows a stronger and healthier plant. You can 
 sow a half less scarified seed to the acre and be 
 assured of a better stand. If you write for prices of 
 Hulled Seed, make sure it is properly scarified. Don't 
 be contented with anything else. 
 
 Don't ever use Southern grown seed, as it is not 
 nearly as satisfactory and the unhulled seed sold by 
 the Southern seedsmen is to be condemned and the use 
 of it discouraged. 
 
 It is best to secure the hulled seed when possi- 
 ble, for it germinates more readily and gives better 
 satisfaction and the difficulty sometimes experienced 
 in obtaining a stand will be avoided. 
 
 The writer is familiar with a party who sowed 
 thirty acres in Iowa and a good stand was obtained on 
 the twenty acres, which were sowed with the hulled 
 seed, but the ten acres which were sowed with un- 
 hulled seed, secured from a Southern dealer, proved a 
 failure. It is very essential that first-class seed be 
 obtained if a good stand is to be expected. 
 
 Since there is an unusual interest created and so 
 many starting to grow Sweet Clover the seed proposi- 
 tion is one of special interest. Anyone wishing seed 
 should make arrangements early in the season, for, as 
 a rule, seed can be bought to better advantage then 
 and if purchasing is delayed until the time of sowing 
 difficulty might be experienced in securing seed. Such 
 has been the experience of late years, but it may be 
 that this will soon be overcome by a large number 
 harvesting seed. 
 
 58 
 
Chapter XIV 
 ERADICATION 
 
 With the many advantages credited to Sweet 
 Clover there is another point which should be cov- 
 ered — the eradication or extermination of the plant. 
 It is claimed by some that Sweet Clover is hard to 
 eradicate and trouble along this line is anticipated. 
 The fact that Sweet Clover is a biennial plant is proof 
 that it should not be hard to eradicate, for if it is not 
 allowed to seed it cannot exist more than two years. 
 
 In changing land from Sweet Clover to a culti- 
 vated crop it would be well to follow with a corn crop, 
 for by careful cultivation and not allowing any to go 
 to seed it will not show up after the second year, ex- 
 cept possibly an occasional plant which has come from 
 hard seed that has remained in the ground. Two 
 years of cultivation will practically remove all trace of 
 it, and no one need experience any serious difficulty 
 along this line, as it is not considered hard to erad- 
 icate. 
 
 The sod is not hard to break, being easily accom- 
 plished with any plow that is sharp, so as to cut off 
 the tap root. The sod is not of a tough nature, but on 
 the other hand breaks up when plowed, making it eas- 
 ily put in condition for a corn crop. 
 
 The difficulty experienced in eradicating Sweet 
 Clover along the roadside has been due to the fact 
 that in many cases it was not cut until seed had 
 
 59 
 
ripened, and thus allowed to re-seed itself, or it was 
 cut too high and the branches started up again and 
 made sufficient growth to produce seed. If Sweet 
 Clover is cut low with a mower before it has been 
 allowed to form seed the plant will die and cause no 
 further trouble. This should be remembered, for if 
 you are cutting it for hay and wish it to come again 
 sufficient branches should be left so that it will start. 
 
 Sweet Clover seldom ever enters the cultivated 
 fields, and when it is growing in the fence rows it does 
 not bother an adjoining cultivated field. It is much 
 better to have Sweet Clover growing in waste places 
 than any weed, for not only is it improving the soil, 
 but is also preventing noxious weeds from gaining a 
 foothold. 
 
 60 
 
Chapter XV 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 When writing about Sweet Clover in a general 
 way there are bound to be some exceptions and dif- 
 ferences of opinion. However, the writer does not 
 expect everyone at present to agree as to the value of 
 the plant, but time will impress upon all of us its real 
 merits. As it becomes more generally grown and 
 understood, regardless of the skeptic's opinion, who 
 may condemn the plant, the fact remains that Sweet 
 Clover is one of the great forage plants. It will not, 
 however, do away with a single plant that we are now 
 growing. There is already a place for Sweet Clover on 
 nearly every farm, since the crops we are now produc- 
 ing do not meet all the requirements. Thus we see 
 the need is present and it is only a matter of Sweet 
 Clover finding its place. 
 
 Where Alfalfa can be grown to best advantage 
 Sweet Clover will not appeal to the farmer in that par- 
 ticular section, while on the other hand to the many 
 who have been unsuccessful in growing Alfalfa, Sweet 
 Clover will find a welcome. The fact that Sweet 
 Clover can be grown in all sections and on nearly all 
 soils makes it stand without a peer as a utility crop, 
 as it can be depended on to make good where other 
 crops fail. 
 
 Sweet Clover especially recommends itself to the 
 dairy farmer, being very rich in protein, affording 
 splendid pasture, and making the very best of hay 
 
 61 
 
that will rank alongside of Alfalfa. In many sections 
 it is almost impossible to get Alfalfa hay, as every 
 dairyman knows; therefore there is a great need for 
 some other crop to take its place. To the eastern 
 dairyman it should find a very warm welcome, for it 
 will not only put him on par with the western farmer 
 in producing feed, as the hills will grow the very best 
 kind of crops and produce an abundance of feed, con- 
 taining a high per cent of protein, just what he desires, 
 and at the same time will also build up the land, so that 
 it will bring him a two-fold income. 
 
 The fact that the merits of Sweet Clover are not 
 generally known makes it of no less value or impor- 
 tance. Nor is it so strange that the value of Sweet 
 Clover is not known to the farmer of the United 
 States, with all of his knowledge and advancement in 
 the agricultural pursuit, for he was practically as long 
 in realizing that Alfalfa was the greatest forage crop 
 that could be grown, although it had been grown for 
 thousands of years in Asia and was a very popular crop 
 in Europe for a great many centuries, while it did not 
 gain widespread popularity in the United States until 
 the twentieth century. Even in Old Mexico, where 
 they have their ox carts and are very slow in adopting 
 new ideas, they realized the value of Alfalfa and have 
 grown it as a forage crop for over 200 years. It is to 
 Mexico that we are indebted for introducing it in the 
 United States, for it was first introduced into Cali- 
 fornia, and from there it gradually worked east, in a 
 roundabout way, until it finally penetrated to the grain 
 and dairy districts of the middle west. The mere fact 
 that Alfalfa was not grown by the farmers in the 
 United States made it of no less value. The same is 
 true of Sweet Clover. The value of Sweet Clover 
 will be realized when it has been developed, the crop 
 understood and it becomes more generally grown. It 
 is adapted to a great variety of soil and will add much 
 wealth in the way of feed and in enriching the soil, 
 
 62 
 
which is so much in need of something that can be 
 used advantageously for rotation of crop. 
 
 In many sections Alfalfa is not grown and is 
 urderstood but little more, if any, than Sweet Clover. 
 It is to the thinking and progressive farmer that Sweet 
 Clover will appeal. There certainly is a big demand 
 for a plant that has such true worth and has so many 
 points in its favor, recommending itself to the farmer 
 of the East, West, North and South ; to the cattle and 
 sheep raiser of the West; to the feeders and corn 
 growers of the central states; to the dairyman and 
 farmer of the East and to the Southern farmer, who 
 is so much in need of a fertilizer. 
 
 Heretofore the importance of forage plants has 
 not been recognized and many have thought that the 
 plow and the planter were the only producers of 
 values, while the truth is that our forage plants are of 
 more value than the cereal crops of all kinds, and the 
 profit from cattle, hogs, sheep and poultry comes from 
 the pasture and hay, rather than from the crib or gran- 
 ary. If our forage plants failed but a single season it 
 would bring complete disaster to every farmer and but 
 a small per cent of stock of all kinds would survive. 
 This fact is appreciated to some extent after a hard 
 and long winter, when the feed supply is practically 
 exhausted and every farmer is anxiously awaiting the 
 green pasture on which to turn the stock. It is to the 
 green feed that we must look largely for the profit that 
 is to be derived out of stock of all kinds. 
 
 It is truly wonderful to study the feed proposition 
 and see how nature has so generously provided the 
 green feed which is of such great importance to every 
 stock grower. We find the green fields of Clover, 
 Alfalfa, Timothy, Blue Grass and grasses of various 
 kinds, and now we have another important crop added 
 to our resources — the Sweet Clover — which bids fair 
 to take its true place among the principal crops. 
 
 63 
 
Undoubtedly as the years roll by and when farm- 
 ing becomes a scientific study rather than a mere 
 routine Sweet Clover will be counted in many sections 
 of the country as the great money-makmg crop, and 
 will be recognized by all as one of the most valuable 
 of forage plants. 
 
 64