The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-06-13
SWEET CLOVER AS
A FORAGE CROP

~ WET CLOVER is finding an
important place in the farming
~ system of Montana as a pasture
crop, according to Clyde Mckee,
agronomist at Montana State College.
A recent survey showed that 36.S per
cent of large number of farmers in
terviewed used sweet clover for pas
ture, 35.9 per cent used it for hay,
1853 per cent used it to improve the
soil, 9.5 per cent for producing seed,
and 13 per cent for bees.
Discussing sweet clover from the
standpoint of pasture, Mr.. Mckee
states that under dry land condt-
lions no other leguminous crop will
furnish so much nutritious pasturage
from early spring until fall as will
sweet clover when properly handled.
Reports indicate that it is not I'M
reasonable to expect dry land sweet
clover pastures to carry from one to
two head of cattle an acre the second
year, and several men stated that the
pastures could have carried more
stock. The crop produces so much
feed because it begins growth earlier
in the spring than many forage
plants and thrives during the dry
summer months.
Live stock may refuse to eat the
sweet clover at first but cases are
known where stock have preferred
the crop to other forage plants.
There is present in all parts of the
sweet clover plant bitter substance
called cumarin. Early in the spring
the plant contains very little of this,
but as the season advances the GU
marin content of the plant increases
and the bitter taste becomes much
more Objectionable. Therefore, it is
important to begin pasturing sweet
clover early in the spring as the Bit
ter taste is much less noticeable and
animals usually eat the crop more
readily. Montana growers have pas
tured sweet clover with all classes of
live stock and over 80 per cent of
those reporting state that they have
had no difficulty in getting animals |
to eat it.
"PaSturing sweet clover during |
the first year is not uncommon in |
Montana. The first years growth is |
not coarse or woody and the quality |
compares favorably with that of good
alfalfa pasture. If the crop is sown
early on well-prepared seed bed, it |
will make a vigorous growth and oc-
casionally provides considerable pas
turage during the latter part of the
season. However, on the average
dry land farm it is not wise to de-
pend on pasturing sweet clover dur
ing the first year. Close grazing |
should be avoided during the first
summer or the plants may be killed.
In the fall, however, after the plants
have become we'll established, the
crop may be grazed rather closely
with little or no danger of injury.
Owing to the low set crown it does
not appear so necessary to provide
winter covering for sweet clover as
is the case with red clover or alfalfa.
AS a rule, however, the crop will start
earlier in the second spring and the
growth will be more vigorous if it is
not pastured or clipped too closely in
the fall of the first year.
During the spring of the second
year sweet clover pasture will fur
nish an abundance of forage if prop
erly managed. Pasturing may begin
as soon as the plants start growth in
the spring. In fact, if sweet clover
pastures are to be kept in the best
condition, pasturing must begin
early and enough stock must be used
to keep the crop grazed closely. If
the growth becomes too rank, it is
advisable to clip the crop to bring
out new shoots. When clipping is
resorted to, the cutter bar of the
should be raised high enough
to avoid killing the plants. A few +;
growers have been successful in US
ing biennial yellow sweet clover as
a permanent pasture. This variety !
re-seeds itself readily because of it's
spreading habit of growth. Many
growers prefer the biennial yellow
because the stems and leaves are ,
white variety"