Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1913-11-14
SWEET CLOVER VAIL ABLE
As A FORAGE CROP

To the Editor: Recently articles
have appeared in the papers OF the
valley and in current magazines COM
mentlng on the possibilities OF sweet
clover as forage and hay crop. The
writer believes that more attention
should be given this crop. lnasmuch
as most OF the accounts SO Tar print
ed have been based on experiments
and trials outside the state, some
statement OF local trials OF this crop,
together With brief statement OF
the habits and peouliarities OF the
plant, may be valuable.
Sweet clover is a legume OF nitro
gen gatherer closely akin TO alfalfa.
In fact, it is the only legume that
cross-innoculates with alfalfa. Be
ing a nitrogen gatherer it enriches
the soil on which it grows in nitro
gen and humus and its great root
system improves the soil by aerating
and subsoiling.
Three kinds of sweet clover are
common in this country: The ordin-
airy biennial white sweet clover,
which is usually meant when sweet
clover is mentioned; the biennial yell
low sweet clover, similar to the white
variety except in color of blossom;
and the annual yellow species, which
is not generally recommended for
forage purposes. The white sweet
clover is most common in the Rogue
River valley, growing along Bear
creek and other streams, in public
roads, on the granite hills, on the
sticky soils, and in fact anywhere
that vegetation can make a foothold.
The bitter taste of the foliage of
this plant and the tendency Of Its
stems to become woody as the plant
natures have caused sweet clover to
be deemed of little value as anything
but a bee plant, and this opinion has
been confirmed, apparently, by the
/ fact that stock do not eat it readily
when other and more familiar forage
is available. But the high protein
content of sweet clover 13.S oer
cent. for sweet clover hay, according
to Henry's Feeds and FeedingO
almost the same as alfalfa, and the
discovery that stock when once in
duced to partake Of sweet clover soon
acquire a strong taste for it, has fin
ally resulted in a complete reversal
Of opinion in the middle west and in
sections where It was once legislated
against 1t is now recommended by
agricultural colleges and sown by
hard-headed, practical farmers.
Sweet clover is commonly sown In
the spring, either with or without g
nurse crop The biennial varieties
during their first season make
growth of from IS to 80 inches, and
in addition store up in a very large
root reserve plant food for rapit
and vigorous growth early the fol
lowing spring. During the SECOND
season it makes rapid stalkI
growth, attaining when uncut
height of 8 to IL feet, and dyin!
after it natures seed. When cut TO
hay the number of cuttings in tn,
first and second years depend 81
much on the soil and moisture condi
tions that no advance estimates o
much value can be made. 1t is Ger
tain, however, that sweet clover /
one of the most drought resistant o
plants and probably would produc
fair crops where alfalfa would fail
The wonderful adaptability OF thi
crop to various conditions give
promise that it has great possibili
ties in this valley on our rough hi
lands that are now non-productivt
1t will grow on almost any soil an
make a fair crop (the writer has see
plants thriving, during the early par
OIL the season at least, in the morta
of a brick wall several feet abov
the ground). 1t can be sown wit
comparatively little preparation O
the soil. 1t is reported to resee
itself readily, even though cut 10
hay, by missing part OF every thfr