The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-01-20
AGRICULTURE
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Sweet Clover.

4
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 malicious
oficinalis. This plant was introduced
| from Europe great many years ago.
One would think, to see it growing
! along the roadsides of Northern ILL.,
nois, that it had taken possession of
the entire state. He would be the
more sure of this if he followed the
Illinois Central railroad from Chicago
growing luxuriantly all the way. But
| if, short distance below Chicago, he
should strike off into the country, he
would find peoplet who had never seen
sample of this plant. If he went
200 miles south of Chicago he would
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 malicious never
takes root in a field already covered
with grass: It is able only to get a
foothold on bare ground and hard
ground. It does not usually grow well
in the plowed field. It has even been
said that it never grows in cult
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 it's seeds in their fields and
are encouraging it's growth. They
have found that it is wonderful col.
I lector of nitrogen from the air-that
by means of the root tubercles it is
continually collecting nitrogen from
the air and adding it to the soil. The
writer, this summer, visited one OF
the experiments in Southern Illinois
that is being conducted by the Illinois
Experiment Station. On one end Of
the field had been sown the seed oil
the malicious. These plants had de
veloped into forest. A photograph
was taken of the field with men anG
horses standing in it and all were
nearly hidden by the plants, which
went above their heads. The same
day the photograph was taken thu
crop was moved down and plowet
under to further enrich the soil. The
ease with which this plant may bf
grown and the wonderful amount O.
substance it produces makes it one
OF the best possible plants for thu
improvement of the soil. In some
parts Of the south this plant is being
grown for hay, but anyone who ha:
tasted of malicious will understand
why the cattle refuse to eat it unit
they have been starved to it.
Eventually the time will come whel
some man will produce a variety o
malicious that will lack the bite
taste now so characteristic of it
When that time comes we will hav,
discovered plant which will be in
calculably valuable to the farmers o
this country. One of the creates
benefits coming from the presence O
this plant is the fact that the BAG
terium which grows upon it's roots i
the same variety that grows upon tn
roots of the alfalfa. If man plant
alfalfa on field where the malilotu
has grown he is certain of obtaining
thrifty growth of his alfalfa. Ais
a man who wishes to plant alfalf
on Fl ED where neither the alfalf
nor the malicious has grown befor
can take the soil from around th
malicious plants and scatter it in til
field where the alfalfa is to grow, an
by the second year he will have
strong growth of alfalfa. The germ
thus placed in the soil will renal
there for all future years, providin
that alfalfa or malicious are grow
upon that field.