The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-10-12

orably with those obtained from ell
ther alfalfa or red clover.
There is very little danger of bloat.
ing when stock are pastured on tle
sweet clover, but it Is safest to
avoid turning the stock into sweet
clover pasture when 1t is wet with
dew or rain or when stock are un.
usually hungry. Sweet clover will
also thrive well druing midsummer
droughts and produce much early and
late pasturage.
Soil Requirements
Sweet clover has the ability to
thrive on poor clay soils as well as
on poor sandy soils, but it will make
better growth on fertile soil. 1t
prefers soils of limestone origin. Clay
soils which are acid should be lined
before sweet clover is sown. Sweet
clover Is also very resistant to al
kali, and plants may be found in the
West growing on soils SO alkaline
that little else than salt grass is able
to survive.
The primary requisite for obtain
ing stand of sweet clover is to have
firm, thoroughly compacted seed
bed with just enough loose soil on
top to enable the seed to be covered.
The lack OF firm seed bed is prob
ably the chief reason why sweet clio
yer so often fails when seeded un.
der cultivation. However, IL it seed
ed with spring sown grain the seed
bed should be rolled after seeding.
Better results are usually obtained
where sweet clover is seeded alone
in the late winter or spring on the
ground which has been plowed and
thoroughly worked the previous fall.
Seeding
The time for sowing sweet clover
varies considerably in different sec
lions of the United States. In the
eastern part, in the latitude of Wash
ington, ID. c., good stand may be
obtained by seeding either early in
the spring or about August Is. One
disadvantage with early fall seeding
is that the plants mature and die
the following year and only small
growth OF roots Is obtained. II seed
ed in spring in nurse crop sweet
clover will develop an extensive root
system the first year and produce a
small amount of pasture. For this
reason 1t Is recommended that so far
as possible It be seeded in the late
winter or spring. In the Southern
States, as far north as the Ohio Riv-
er, the practice is to seed quite early
in the spring, during February or
the early part OF March. In the
States farther north the date Is cor
respondingly later, until in Wiscon-
sin 1t is usually seeded in the datter
part OF April or the first of May.
When the rainfall is sufficient. a
stand can be obtained by seeding in
small grain, such as fall wheat or
spring sown crops like oats and bar
ley, but In seeding with grain one
runs some risk Of having the sweet
clover plants killed out by drought
during the summer. Owing to the
rather slow termination Of the seed
It is usually best to seed at the rate
OF Is to 20 pounds OF hulled seed
and 25 pounds OF unhulled seed to
the acre.
incubation
On poor soils In localities where
sweet clover is not common, II is
quite important that the soil be in
oculated at seeding time to insure
good results. Even In localities
where sweet clover is plentiful the
carly growth has been made much
more vigorous by thoroughly inoculat-
ing the soil. incubation can be ac-
complished by mixing soil from a
field where sweet clover, but clover
yellow trefoil (black medic), or al
falfa grows abundantly. pound for
pound, with sweet clover seed. This
mixture should be sown after sunset
or on cloudy day and Immediately
narrowed in since daylight greatly
Injuries the inoculating germs Inocu.
lation is accomplished in the South
by using unhulled seed. Pure cul-
lures OF the inoculating bacteria may
be obtained free OF charge from the
department.
Harvesting
When hay is desired, sweet clover
should be cut just before 1t begins
to bloom. At this time the leaves
are most abundant and the stems
have not yet become woody. Sweet
clover hay should be tended while in i
the swath, and Just before the leaves
become dry enough to SKATER It
should be raked into windows. AZ.