The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-10-01
PLANT THAT ACCOMPANIES MAN.
Various Forms Of Clover Most Valuable
Feed Crop.
tBy crittenden Marriott.)

10Y SAiNNCHNOh
Clover in its various forms is the
great grazing and fodder crop of the
world. Whether II masquerades as the
clover of our own pastures, the alfalfa
of the West, the shamrock of Ireland
the basil Of the Arabian Knights, the
berseem of Egypt. or under another OF
its various aliases, in some form or
other, some species of it accompanies
man wherever he goes with his cattle
nutritious food for all grass eating ami
mails and one of the best crops for
fertilizing the wornout fields of the
farmer.
OF late years the Agricultural De-
partment has been securing the world
for plants which might prosper under
American conditions and might prove
more valuable. in some parts of the
country at least, than anything of the
kind already growing there. Its efforts
have resulted in the acclimatization Of
many valuable grasses among the
most profitable of which may be rank
ed berseem, the great forage crop of the
rich Nile valley, which bids fair within
q few years to become as well and
widely known in the United States as
alfalfa has now become.
There are few plants that play so
great part in any country as does
berselm in Egypt. 1t is the first crop
planted after reclaiming the salt lands;
1t furnishes fodder for all work ami
mails in the big towns and grazing ma
in the country; it supplies the camels
and feeds the donkeys: even the peas |
antry carry punches of it in their hands |
and seem to enjoy its sharp taste. |
Every coachman has bunch or bag of
IL with which to feed his horses at |
noon; every drayman carries it on his
load for his bullocks. In the early |
morning all the avenues leading to Ca
iro are thronged by long lines of camels
nearly hidden beneath its green load.
Nor is this ALI. Tn culture of ber-
seem kills out weeds fertilizes the soil
and reclaims worthless lands On our
alkali plains in the West is should
prove of tremendous value.
Everybody has heard of the great fer
tility of the Nile valley-how the river
annually overfiows and when it recedes
leaves layer of rich alluvium from
which spring crops Of unsurpassed fer
tility. 1t will surprise most people to
learn that this soil is only valuable for
certain crops; that it will not grow corn
or sugar cane, for instance, with any
success - sSi.ssr '->s4S~.so@-1-~
This Is because it is almsot destitute
of nitrogen, the element supplied to our
soil by stable manure. In Egypt, as
far back as history goes, all this stable
manure has been dried in cakes and
used for fuel until today the soil would
have been altogether exhausted had 1t
not been for berseem.
For berseem, like all the great bean
family, possesses the peculiar power
of extracting nitrogen from the air and
storing it in knots on it's roots When
cut, or, better still. when plowed un-
der, these knots remain in the ground
to decay and leave their nitrogen there,
supplying the lack of manure. In Egypt,
the poorest soils-soils much like those
Of our alkali plains-raise crop of ber-
seem every winter and crop of cotton I
every summer, and improve in fertil-
lty all the time without the addition
Of any fertilizers at all.