H. S. Coe

“ Ordinarily it is not necessary to inoculate sweet clover when it is to be planted on land where alfalfa, bur-clover, or black medic thrives, because the same strain of inoculating germs inoculates all of these plants. However, when this closer is to be planted on land where none of the plants inoculated by this strain of the organism have been grown, inoculation should be provided. In localities where sweet clover or other plants inoculated by the same strain of bacteria thrive, the early growth has at times been made much more vigorous by inoculating the soil or seed thoroughly. ”

“ MACHINERY USED FOR HARVESTING THE SEED CROP.
No machine thus far manufactured has given entire satisfaction for cutting the sweet-clover seed crop. On account of the ease with which the pods shatter, it is a question whether any machine can be devised which will handle this crop without the loss of some seed. It is possible and practicable, however, for farmers at a small cost to equip their binders with pans and guards, so as to save most of the seed which otherwise would be lost. ”

“ Good success has been attained by merely broadcasting the seed on sandy soil and scratching it in with a harrow. Such a seed bed appears to be ideal when the seed can be covered sufficiently to insure plenty of moisture. It must be remembered that young sweet-clover plants are not drought resistant and that every precaution should be taken in seasons of drought or on laud which drought affects badly to so prepare the seed bed that the largest quantity of moisture will be conserved. ”

“ When a corn binder is used no more seed is lost from shattering than when an ordinary grain harvester is employed, unless the later is equipped with special pans and extensions, for the reason, primarily, that the portions of the plants which produce most of the seed extend above the gathering or divider boards and are not crushed. ”

“ The soil-transfer method of inoculation consists in scattering over the field to be seeded 200 to 400 pounds to the acre of soil collected from sweet-clover, alfalfa, or bur-clover fields where the healthy plants show an abundance of tubercles on the roots. It is strongly recommended that this soil be scattered on a cloudy day or in the early morning or in the evening and immediately harrowed or disked into the ground, as the sun's rays are very injurious to the inoculating germs. It is a good plan for the person scattering the soil to walk directly in front of the harrow. ”

“ On account of the low germination of much of the sweet-clover seed offered for sale it is very important that seed be tested for germination before planting. Low germination usually is due to the fact that many of the seeds remain hard after they have been in the germinator or soil for a month or more. The seed coats of hard sweet-clover seeds become permeable to water very slowly, if at all, in storage. The germination of such seeds is greatly increased, however, when they are subjected for a time to alternating temperatures, such as freezing and thawing. ”

“ The ordinary mowing machine is one of the most unsatisfactory devices used for harvesting this crop, as the subsequent handling necessary to place the plants in windrows or cocks causes much of the seed to shatter. ”

“ Sweet clover will do well on many soils which are not fertile enough to grow red clover or alfalfa, and it is on these soils that it will prove most valuable. Like many other plants, it makes its best growth on fertile soils rich in calcium carbonate, although it will make sufficient growth on poor soils which are not acid to warrant planting it on them. Many hilly pastures may profitably be seeded to sweet clover. It will not only make a valuable addition to the forage of these pastures but will improve the soil so that grasses will grow more abundantly. ”

“ Smaller sleds sometimes are used, but a larger one is to be preferred if two or more persons are to flail on it at one time. If the floor of the sled is not perfectly tight, it should be covered with canvas and the edges of the canvas thrown over the sides and ends of the sled, so as to avoid losing any of the seed and to facilitate its removal. A sled so equipped may be drawn from pile to pile, the plants pitched on it, the seed flailed from them, and the straw returned to the land for soil improvement. ”

“ A comparatively new method which has given successful results calls for dampening each bushel of seed and spreading it on a cloth, paper, or cement floor, where half a gallon of throughly inoculated soil from sweet-clover or alfalfa plants may be sifted over it. Some people prefer to add a trace of glue or sugar to water, so that more of the soil will adhere to the seed, although some soil will remain on the seed if the glue or sugar is not used. When only this quantity of soil is used it should be collected from around the roots of sweet-clover plants which are abundantly inoculated. ”

“ The type of root growth has much to do with the quantity of water the plants are able to obtain during droughty weather. When sweet clover is planted on soil that has a tendency to be wet, the plants will produce a much-branched shallow root system instead of the normal deep roots which are found on well-drained soils. ”

“ Yields of sweet-clover hay have been increased as much as 2 tons per acre from applications of barnyard manure. Such an increased yield would be equal approximately to 8 tons of green-manure. Some people may consider it poor farm practice to apply manure to such crops as sweet clover, but it is very probable that the cumulative effect of the increased yields of the following crops, especially on soils low in organic matter, will be greater than if the manure is applied to other crops. Heavy applications of manure to the preceding crop should also greatly benefit sweet clover. ”

“ A pure culture of the proper kind of bacteria should be applied to the seeds in such a way that they will all be moistened. The seed should then be permitted to dry in a shady or dark place and should be planted as soon as possible after it is dry. Drying may be facilitated by adding dry, sifted soil, preferably from the field where the seed is to be sown. Inoculating organisms very often die within a week after the seed is inoculated. It is highly desirable, therefore that the inoculation be made the day the seed is sown. Inoculated seed never should be dried in the sun. ”

“ The famous Cruyere cheese of Switzerland owes its flavor to yellow sweet clover. In Germany it has given very good results when used as a green-manure, while in parts of Russian Poland and Austria-Hungary it is grown as a green-manure, pasturage, and hay crop on poor soils. This plant is used for forage and as a soil-improving crop in the central provinces of India, while sour clover, commonly referred to as Melilotus parviflora, is credited with furnishing 75 per cent of the feed for the cattle of King Island, Tasmania, which produce the best beef and butter sold on the Tasmania market. ”

“ When sweet-clover plants are not inoculated they must depend upon the available nitrogen in the soil for their supply, and as the crop is grown for the most part on soils low in nitrogen the plants can not be expected to make more than a small growth. ”

“ It is a common practice in many sections to pasture the crop until about June 10, when the stock is removed and the plants are permitted to mature seed. If the plants have not been grazed closely they should be clipped at this time, so that the seed crop will ripen more evenly. Sweet clover may be pastured during the entire second season's growth, provided sufficient stock is kept on the field to prevent the growth from becoming woody. If the plants become coarse the pasture may be clipped, leaving an 8-inch stubble, so as to induce a new growth which will be more palatable. ”

“ No data have been secured on winter seeding in those portions of the United States where open winters do not occur. It is probable that in those sections the winters are sufficiently cold to prevent germination before spring. Good results may be obtained by winter seeding, but as usually no trouble is experienced in those sections in obtaining a stand by seeding as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring, it is strongly recommended that seeding be done with hulled seed, which germinates well at this time of the year. ”

“ In those sections of the country where the moisture supply is limited, sweet clover should be sown without a nurse crop. Failure to obtain a stand is more likely to occur when the seed is sown with grain than when it is sown alone, because during dry weather, which is likely to occur when the grain is maturing, the supply of moisture in the soil is apt to be insufficient for both crops. ”

“ After the drainage of water-logged land on which there is a surface accumulation of alkali, it is the common practice in parts of Utah to grow sweet clover for several years before planting alfalfa. It is often stated that alkali land will grow less tolerant crops after sweet clover has been grown on it for a few years. The long roots will open up the subsoil and cause better drainage, thereby affording an excellent means for removing the salts from the soil, as they are readily soluble in water. ”

“ Sweet clover, like many other legumes, requires a soil containing an abundance of limestone if a maximum growth is to be expected. Throughout the world it makes a luxuriant growth only on calcareous soils. On the black prairie limestone soils of Alabama and Mississippi it grows luxuriantly, although in this region it is very seldom found on the outcroppings of red clay, which are acid. ”

“ The plants thrive on newly exposed heavy clay soils and upon steep embankments where little else will grow. Sweet clover is more tolerant of poor drainage, overflow, and seepage conditions than alfalfa. In irrigated sections, especially where the reservoir system is in use, large bodies of land are likely to become useless for the growth of alfalfa because of the rising of the water table. On such areas sweet clover will make a vigorous growth. However, maximum growth is to be expected only on well-drained soil. ”

“ Arny and Thatcher, at the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, obtained 10 times as much dry matter in the tops and seven times as much in the roots of sweet-clover plants which had been grown on thoroughly inoculated soil as from plants Which had been grown on soil not inoculated. Moreover, the plants grown on the inoculated soil contained 117 pounds more nitrogen to the acre than those grown on the uninoculated soil. ”