The Dolores star., 1924-04-11
Italian Clover
Is Not Favored
Not Sufficiently Resistant to
Cold Weather and Is Sus-
ceptible to Disease.

Sufficiently resistant to cold weather !
and Is particularly susceptible to dis
ease, DIR. A. J. Pieters and Mr.. Edgar
brown of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, addressing the
meeting of the Wholesale Grass Seed
Dealers at Chicago, recommended that
no red clover seed of Italian origin be |
imported and that in certain sections |
where the winters are severe, no for
eign-grown red clover seed be used. |!
Observations and careful tests made |
In many parts of the country by the |
department and state experiment. sta |
tions have provided ample proof that |
these recommendations are Justified.
Wherever Italian red clover seed
has been tried. with the exception of
the Pacific Northwest, the result has
been low yields or total failures in
most cases, and when unusually favor
able conditions produced fairly sat
lsfactory first crop there was little
second growth. Where winter condi-
tions are not so severe er where the
NOW covering has afforded protection
against the cold the other foreign red
NhV'Sa huo we'll anu Dt-
rause the supply of home grown seed
Is not sufficient IT is necessary to use
II.
Yields Compared.
Actual tests at number of stations
show how seed from various sources
produces In the United States. At
Ashland. Wis, red clover from Chile
produced u first cutting of 3.T7 tons
per acre; French seed produced 30
tons: Bohemian. 80 tons; and home
grown seed from Idaho. Tennessee.
Wisconsin, Ohio and Oregon averaged
2.S3 tons. Here the heavy SHOWS COW
erlng reduced the effect Of the severe
winter. AT Spooner, WIS, where con
ditions were more severe last year, the
Chilean seed produced 1874 tons; the
French. 1.94; Bohemian. LOT. and
United Suites seed 2.19 tons per acre.
AT Narshiield. Wis, the yields of all
lots were less, Chilean producing 1.6
tons, French 10, Bohemian Ia and
United Suites 1.B tons. At East Ian
sing, Mich, the Michigan seed pro-
duced 2.46 tons. other United States
seed yielded 2.1S; Chilean produced
2.52 tons; French 2.25. and Bohemian
Michigan seed made stronger seed
growth thnn any of the others, NJ
though the European. with the excep-
ton Of the Italian. did very well
At College Park, Md, Chilean seed
made 2.S2 tons; seed from Ohio pro-
duced 2.94 tons: French seed 2.4G; Bo-
hemian 2.0S; Maryland seed 2.42 and
Tennessee 2.22. At Biacksburg, Va,
Chilean seed produced 1.57 tons;
French 135; Bohemian 1.19; and p
number of lots from different parts of
the United States averaged 1.59 tons.
At the State college, Pennsylvania, the
foreign clovers, except the Italian, out
yielded that grown from American
seed. but whether or not this was due
to some unusual circumstance has not
yet been determined.
Results have shown that In most
rases American red clover seed Is more
but the crop grown here Is insufficient
to meet the demand. An average an
nual Importation OF 10,00O,0OO pounds
Is needed to make up the deficiency of
red and alsike seed. II all foreign seed
were poor the department would not
Its importation even in the
face of the great shortage, but tests
have shown that certain strains do
well here in certain sections where
Is great need to increase the produc-
rtIon of clover seed in this country.
Much Seed Imported.
1t was brought out before the seed
dealers that between July 1, 1923, and
January rs. 1924. more than 6,70O.000
pounds OF red clover seed had been
Imported. and that nearly 100000
pounds Of 1t had been brought from
italy. In addition, about 100000 of
the seed shipped from other parts of
Europe Is thought to have originated
in Italy. Considering the known and
suspected Italian seed, 1t seems that
about per cent of the Imported red
clover seed is of the kind which will
not produce a satisfactory crop except.
possibly, in the Pacific Northwest. The
seed Importation act administered by
the Department OF Agriculture, makes
certain requirements as to purity,
presence of weed seeds and vitality,
but these requirements do not make 1t
possible to bar this seed which is
germinable enough and clean enough,
but not adapted to our conditions.
The representatives of the depart
ment called the attention of the seed
dealers to the prevalence Of anthrac-
nose disease of red clover. which Is
severe from Washington, ID.
c.. to Tennessee and northern Ala
bama. 1t affects the second crop Of
all clovers. foreign and domestic. and
even the flrst crop may be destroyed.
There are resistant strains and 1t Is
important that they be developed and
the seed put on the commercial mar
ket. At present most Of our northern
grown domestic seed is as liable to
this disease as the imported strains
80 thA TknI