The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1916-08-25
"EUREKA CLOVER"
New Name for Previously Exploited
Forage Plant Widely Tested
and Found of Little Value.


and Found of Little Value.
Under the name Eureka clover"
there is now being advertised a for
age plant for which enormous yields
of green fodder are asserted. The
plant in question is sachaline
(Polygonum sachalinense.) intro
duced into the United States in 1888
and much exploited in 1898 and for
few years thereafter.
Sachaline is a native of the island
of Saghalien, whence it obtains it's
common name, and from where it
was first described in 1859. The
plant is a hardy herbaceous perennial
and spreads by stout creeping root
stocks. The stems of well-grown
plants become 6 to Is feet high and
bear numerous large heart-shaped
leaves. The flowers are small,
greenish-white, and form in small
clusters in the axis of the leaves.
Seeds are produced rather sparingly.
Sachaline was cultivated as an
ornamental for some years IN Europe
before M, Doumet-Adamson in
France called attention to its value
as forage. AS the plant was said to
be easily propagated and very vigor-
Gus in growth, this resulted in it's
enthusiastic booming. 1t was even
extolled as crop for arid regions,
though it is native 80 cool, moist
climate. In the years Immediately
following, the plant was much adj
vertised in the United States.
Tests of the plant were made about
this time by the department and by
many experiment stations, of which
the following published results,
namely. Kansas, Iowa, Colorado,
Nebraska, Texas, North Carolina,
Florida, Ontario, California, Wash
ington and Massachusetts. Most of
the reports are adverse, the plant
not thriving we'll under the condi-
lions tested, but partially favorable
results were secured in Florida,
Iowa, North Carolina, and Massachu-
sets. In Ontario the early spring
growth was usually injured by frost,
and in the winter of 189S-99 the
plants were completely killed.
In a few instances farmers and
others reported vigorous growth and
large yields of forage. Several in
vestigators feared the plant might
become a pernicious weed. In gen.
eral. however, difficulty was met in
growing the plant or securing salts
factory growth.
In spite of it's vigorous exploitation
by interested parties, it is significant
that sachaline has newer secured
any definite agricultural status in
this country. Occasionally splendid
specimens are found in gardens,
which seem to indicate that great
yields under field conditions might
be obtained, but such hopes thus
far have not been realized.
In the advertisements of Eureka
clover it is claimed that in western
Oregon it will yield over 800 tons of
green forage to the acre. In
Europe it was asserted that yields
of from 100 to 200 ton per acre were
secured. In all cases published,
however, the yield seems to have
been estimated from the produce of
single plant, method which gives
results far greater than ever are
realized in actual agriculture.
1t is quite possible that in certain
portions of the United States, such as
western Oregon, sachaline may be a
valuable plant to cultivate, but one
should test it cautiously by first try
ing a few plants.
Sachaline is best propagated by
pieces of the rootstock. The seeds
are usually poor and difficult to
terminate, but If used should be
planted under favorable conditions
and the young plants set out where
desired. If single plant thrives
we'll it will spread greatly and in
time furnish rootstocks to plant a
large area. From the experience of
American and European investiga-
tors, however, it would seem that
only in favored localities is there any
likelihood of the plant proving
valuable enough to cultivate for
forage.