Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-06-08


mant of Agriculture)
MelilOtus, or sweet clover, grows
luxuriantly in soil well supplied with
lime. 1t is one of the greatest soil
builders among leguminous plants. 1t
grows vigorously on very thin land II
lime is present, and if undisturbed, az
ter being well seeded, will restore bar
rem and depleted soils to state OF
productivity.
Melilotus is abundant in the black
prairie region of the South. even where
the lime rock is only thinly covered
with soil.
There are three varieties of melilo-
tus-the biennial white, the biennial
yellow and the annual yellow. The
last named is of little value.
MelilOtus generally should be sown
in February and March at the rate of
20 pounds per acre of hulled or one
half bushel of unhulled seed. Both bi-
ennial varieties make a fairly good
growth the first season, live through
the winter and mature seed the second
season, after which the plant dies.
After field is once thoroughly seeded,
both the first and the second years
growths occupy the ground each sea-
son.
In Kentucky and other states of like
latitude where melilotus is well eStab-
lished it is common to pasture lightly
until the second years growth is ap-
preaching maturity, when the stock is
removed and the crop is later cut as
hay OF allowed to mature as a seed
crop. In states well to the South one
cutting for hay is commonly made the
first season after sowing and two or
three cuttings during the second sea-
son. When cut early before the stems
are hard and woody, melilotus hay is
of good quality and valuable for feed
ing. The flavor of the plant, however,
both green and cured, is such that ami
mails often will not eat it until trained
to do so.
Red Glover.
Red clover, which is a very prOmi-
nent leguminous crop in the North, is
not well adapted to the southern ell
mate. However, on fairly fertile soils
rich in lime, such as the alluvial and
black prairie lands and well-drained
river bottoms, red clover makes a good
hay crop for one or two seasons.
For the far South red clover should
be sown about the middle OF. Septem-
Der on thoroughly prepared seed bed
No nurse crop should be used in this
section. In the northern part of the
cotton belt seeding is sometimes sue
early spring. About twelve pounds OF
seed per acre should be used. When
red clover yields well in the South
from two to three cuttings of hay OF
from one to one and one-half tons eacf
may be expected.
On some soils not well adapted to rec
clover a good application of lime fire
quently enables the crop to grow sue
cessfully.
Alsike Glover.
In manner and growth alsike Glove
is midway between red clover and whit,
clover. 1t will do fairly well on some
soils where red clover fails for need o
lime. 1t also grows on some soil
which are too poorly drained for sue
cess with red clover. 1t is a good plan
for use in mixed pastures. and unde
favorable conditions its growth is sucl
as to produce fairly good yields 70
hay. The practice of mixing alsik
and red clover is advisable.
Vetches.
The vetches are the strongest grow
ing annual winter legumes and furnis
splendid winter pasture and hay. Hair
yetch and common vetch are both eA
cellent to use in mixture with oats O
rye winter pasture. Narrow-leafe
yetch is best to use in permanent pas
ture mixtures. When used with winte
oats or rye about one bushel of tn
grain and from one peck to a hal
bushel of vetch should be sOwn durin
September or October. Hairy vetch
harder than common vetch, but Ii
seed is expensive. When grown fl
the first time ON q field the soil shoul
be inoculated.
When pastured in winter, the stot
should be removed from the vetch,
|. yetch mixture, fairly early in the sprir
TO hermit growth for good cutting I
!. hay. or covering of green manur
{ When cut during April or May enoue
) of the vetch seed will often shell al
scatter to reseed the soil.
) Crimson Glover.
: Crimson clover is a winter annu
well adapted as a cover crop in Sc
8 lions where it does well. 1t is grow
g most abundantly on the coastal pla
soils from New Jersey to South Car
s lima and near the coast still farth
IS south. Its extent has increased We
fast in late years and it is now grow