The Grit-advocate., 1905-12-15
AGRICULTURE
Sweet Clover.


We have in this country what is
known as sweet clover. which is
purely a local name. There are two
varieties of this plant. known locally
as white sweet clover and yellow
sweet clover. The name by which
this plant is known throughout the
world is malicious. The white clover
is known as malicious alba. and the
yellow clover is known as malilotus
ofhcinalis. This plant was introduced
from Europe great many years ago.
Ore would think. to see it growing
along the roadsides of Northern ILL
nois, that 1t had taken possession OF
the entire state. He would be the
more sure of this IL he followed the
Illinois Central railroad from Chicago
to Cairo; for he would find this plant
growing luxuriantly all the way. But
II. short distance below Chicago. he
SHOULD strike of into the country, he
would find people who had never seen
sample of this plant. If he went
200 miles south of Chicago he would
find vast stretches of territory where
as yet the malicious has not come 1t
is evident, therefore. that the plant has
followed the railroad. One reason for
this has been the tearing up of the
soil in the making of the tracks.
The seed of the ma,ilotus never
takes root in a field already covered
with grass. 1t is able only to get a
foothold on bare ground and hard
ground. 1t does not usually grow well
in the plowed field. 1t has even been
waited field, but this is a mistake. We
have regarded this plant as weed,
but now it is coming to be looked
upon as one of the greatest benefac-
tors to our agriculture. Instead OF
fighting it, our best agriculturists are
planting its seeds in their fields and
are encouraging its growth. They
have found that it is wonderful col
le-tor of nitrogen from the air-that
by means of the root tubercles 1t Is
continually collecting nitrogen from
the air and adding it to the soil. The
writer, this summer visited one OF
| tile experiments in Southern Illinois
tlsat is being conducted by the Illinois
Experiment Station. On one end OF
tile field had been sown the seed Of
the malicious. These plants had de-
veloped into a forest. A photograph
was taken of the field with men and
horses standing in it and all were
nearly hidden by the plants, which
went above their heads. The same
day the photograph was taken the
crop was moved down and plowed
under to further enrich the soil. The
ease with which this plant may be
grown and the wonderful amount OF
substance it produces makes 1t one
Of the best possible plants for the
improvement Of the soil. In some
parts Of the south this plant is being
grown for hay, but anyone who has
tasted of malicious will understand
why the cattle refuse to eat 1t until
they have been starved to it.
Eventually the time will come when
some man will produce variety OF
malicious that will lack the bitter
taste now so characteristic OF it.
When that time comes we will have
discovered a plant which will be in,
calculably valuable to the farmers of
this country One Of the greatest
benefits coming from the presence OF
this plant is the fact that the bac-
terium which grows upon its roots is
the same variety that grows upon the
roots of the alfalfa. If man plants
alfalfa on a field where the malicious
has grown he is certain of obtaining
thrifty growth of his alfalfa Also
man who wishes to plant alfalfa
on field where neither the alfalfa
Or the malilotus has grown before
can take the soil from around the
malicious plants and scatter it in the
field where the alfalfa is to grow, and
by the second year he will have a
strong growth of alfalfa. The germs
thus placed in the soil will remain
there for all future years, providing
that alfalfa or malicious are grown
u]on that field.