,transcriber ,note ,text emphasis is denoted as ,italic4 ,,sweet ,,clover3 ,,utilization ,h4 ,s4 ,,coe ,assistant ,agronomist1 ,forage-,crop ,investigations ,illustration ,,farmers' ,,bulletin #hbj ,,united ,,states ,,department ,,of ,,agriculture ,contribution from the ,bureau of ,plant ,industry ,,wm4 ,a4 ,,taylor1 ,chief ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,may #aiag ,,washington 3 ,,government ,,printing ,,office 3 #aiag ,,sweet ,,clover may be utilized for feeding purposes1 as pasturage1 hay1 or ensilage4 ,with the possible exception of alfalfa on fertile soil1 sweet clover1 when properly handled1 will furnish as much nutritious pasturage from early spring until late fall as any other legume4 ,it seldom causes bloat4 ,stock may refuse to eat sweet clover at first1 but this distaste can be overcome by keeping them on a field of young plants for a few days4 ,as cattle crave dry roughage when pasturing on sweet clover1 they should have access to it4 ,straw answers this purpose very well4 ,an acre of sweet clover ordinarily will support #bj to #cj sholes4 ,on account of the succulent growth1 it is often difficult1 in humid climates1 to cure the first crop of the second season into a good quality of hay4 ,when seeded without a nurse crop1 one cutting of hay may be obtained the first year in the ,north and two or three cullings in the ,south4 ,two cuttings are often obtained in the ,south after grain harvest4 ,the second year a cutting of hay and a seed crop usually are harvested4 ,sweet clover should never be permitted to show flower buds before it is cut for hay4 ,it is very important that the first crop of the second season be cut so high that a new growth will develop4 ,when the plants have made a growth of #cf to #dj inches it may be necessary to leave the stubble #aj to #ab inches high4 ,in cutting the first crop of the second season it is a good plan to have extension shoe soles made for the mower1 so that a high stubble may be left4 ,in some sections of the country sweet clover as a silage plant is gaining in favor rapidly4 ,this crop has given excellent results as a feed for cattle and sheep4 ,experiments show that it compares favorably with alfalfa4 ,sweet clover has proved to be a profitable soil-improving crop4 ,the large1 deep roots add much humus to the soil and improve the aeration and drainage4 ,as a rule1 the yield of crops following sweet clover is increased materially4 ,being a biennial1 this crop lends itself readily to short rotations4 ,sweet clover is a valuable honey plant1 in that in all sections of the country it secretes an abundance of nectar4 ,this bulletin discusses only1 the utilization of sweet clover4 ,a discussion of the growing of the crop may be found in ,farmers' ,bulletin #gig4 ,,sweet ,,clover3 ,,utilization4#a #a ,the growing of this crop has been discussed in a previous publication1 ,farmers' ,bulletin #gig1 entitled ,sweet ,clover2 ,growing the ,crop4 ,,contents4 ,page4 ,general statement of the uses of sweet clover #c ,sweet clover as a pasture crop #d ,sweet clover hay #aj ,sweet clover as a silage crop #bj ,sweet clover as a soiling crop #bb ,sweet clover as a feed #bc ,sweet clover as a soil-improving crop #bh ,sweet clover in rotations #ca ,sweet clover as a honey plant #cb ,,general ,,statement ,,of ,,the ,,uses ,,of ,,sweet ,,clover4 ,the utilization of sweet clover as a feed for all classes of live stock has increased rapidly in many parts of the country1 owing primarily to the excellent results obtained by many farmers who have used this plant for pasturage or hay1 and also to the fact that feeding and digestion experiments conducted by agricultural experiment stations show that it is practically equal to alfalfa and red clover as a feed4 ,as a pasture plant1 sweet clover is superior to red clover1 and possibly alfalfa1 as it seldom causes bloat1 will grow on poor soils1 and is drought resistant4 ,the favorable results obtained from the utilization of this crop for pasturage have done much to promote its culture in many parts of the ,united ,states4 ,on account of the succulent1 somewhat stemmy growth of the first crop the second year1 difficulty is often experienced in curing the hay in humid sections1 as it is necessary to cut it at a time when weather conditions are likely to be unfavorable4 ,when properly cured the hay is relished by stock4 ,at the present time sweet clover is used to only a limited extent for silage1 but its use for this purpose should increase rapidly1 as the results thus far obtained have been very satisfactory4 ,in addition to the value of sweet clover as a feed1 it is one of the best soil-improving crops adapted to short rotations which can be grown4 ,when cut for hay1 the stubble and roots remain in the soil1 and when pastured1 the uneaten parts of the plants1 as well as the manure made while animals are on pasture1 are added to the soil and benefit the succeeding crops4 ,in addition to humus1 sweet clover1 in common with all legumes1 adds nitrogen to the soil4 ,this crop is grown in many sections of the country primarily to improve soils1 and the benefits derived from it when handled in this manner have justified its use1 as the yields of succeeding crops usually are increased materially4 ,the different species of sweet clover are excellent honey plants1 as they produce nectar over a long period in all sections of the ,united ,states4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a4--;,cattle pasturing on sweet clover4 ,,sweet ,,clover ,,as ,a ,,pasture ,,crop4 ,with the possible exception of alfalfa on fertile soils1 no other leguminous crop will furnish as much nutritious pasturage from early spring until late fall as sweet clover when it is properly handled4 ,live stock which have never been fed sweet clover may refuse to eat it at first1 but this distaste is easily overcome by turning them on the pasture in the spring1 as soon as the plants start growth 7fig4 #a74 ,many cases are on record where stock have preferred sweet clover to other forage plants4 ,the fact that it may be pastured earlier in the spring than many forage plants and that it thrives throughout the hot summer months makes it a valuable addition to the pastures on many farms4 ,sweet clover is an especially valuable forage plant for poor soils where other crops make but little growth1 and it is upon such soils that thousands of acres of this crop are furnishing annually abundant pasturage for all kinds of live stock4 ,in many portions of the ,middle ,west1 where the conditions are similar to those of southeastern ,kansas1 it bids fair to solve the serious pasturage problems4 ,native pastures which will no longer provide more than a scant living for a mature steer on #d or #e acres1 when properly seeded to sweet clover will produce sufficient forage to carry at least one animal to the acre throughout the season4 ,in addition to this1 a crop of hay or a seed crop may be harvested from a portion of the land when it is so fenced that the stock may be confined to certain parts of the field at specific times4 ,land which is too rough or too depleted for cultivation1 or permanent pastures which have become thin and weedy1 may be improved greatly by drilling in1 after disking1 a few pounds of sweet-clover seed per acre4 ,not only will the sweet clover add considerably to the quality and quantity of the pasturage but the growth of the grasses will be improved by the addition of large quantities of humus and nitrogen to the soil4 ,sweet clover has proved to be an excellent pasture crop on many of the best farms in the ,north-,central ,states4 ,in this part of the country it may be seeded alone and pastured from the middle or latter part of ,june until frost1 or it may be sown with grain and pastured after harvest4 ,when sweet clover has been seeded two years in succession on separate fields1 the field sown the first year may be pastured until the middle of ,june1 when the stock should be turned on the spring seeding4 ,when handled in this manner excellent pasturage is provided throughout the summer1 and a hay or seed crop may be harvested from the field seeded the previous season4 ,some of the best pastures in ,iowa consist of a mixture of ,kentucky bluegrass1 timothy1 and sweet clover4 ,on a farm observed near ,delmar1 ,iowa1 stock is pastured on meadows containing this mixture from the first part of ,april to the middle of ,june4 ,from this time until the first part of ,september the stock is kept on one-half to two-thirds the total pasture acreage4 ,the remainder of the pasture land is permitted to mature a seed crop4 ,after the seed crop is harvested the stock again is turned on this acreage1 where they feed on the grasses and first-year sweet-clover plants until cold weather4 ,the seed which shatters when the crop is cut is usually sufficient to reseed the pastures4 ,by handling his pasture land in this manner1 the owner of the farm has always had an abundance of pasture and at the same time has obtained each year a crop of #b to #d bushels of recleaned seed to the acre from one-third to one-half of his pasture land4 ,this system has been in operation on one field for #bj years and not until the last two year's has bluegrass showed a tendency to crowd out the sweet clover4 ,it is essential that sufficient stock be kept on the pastures to keep the plants eaten rather closely1 so that at all times there will be an abundance of fresh shoots4 ,whenever the first crop of the second year is not needed for hay or silage it can be used for no better purpose than pasturage4 ,in fact1 it is better to pasture the fields until the middle of ,june1 as this affords one of the most economical and profitable ways of handling the first crop4 ,in addition to its value for pasture1 grazing induces the plants to send out many young shoots close to the ground1 so that when the plants are permitted to mature seed a much larger number of stalks are formed than would be the case if the first crop were cut for hay4 ,the hay crop is likely to be cut so close to the ground that the plants will be killed1 whereas but little danger of killing the plants arises from close pasturing early in the season4 ,excellent stands of sweet clover will produce an abundance of pasturage for two to three mature steers per acre from early spring to the middle of ,june4 ,cattle which are pasturing on sweet clover alone crave dry feed4 ,straw has been found to satisfy this desire and straw or hay should be present in the meadow at all times1 ,after stock are removed from the field it is an excellent plan to go over it with a mower1 setting the cutter bar so as to leave the stubble #f to #h inches high4 ,this will even up the stand1 so that the plants will ripen seed at approximately the same date4 ,experiments by many farmers in the ,middle ,west show that sweet clover is an excellent pasture for dairy cattle4 ,when cows are turned on sweet clover from grass pastures the flow of milk is increased and its quality improved4 ,other conditions being normal1 this increase in milk production will continue throughout the summer1 as the plants produce an abundance of green forage during the hot1 dry months when grass pastures are unproductive4 ,if pastures are handled properly they will carry at least one milk cow to the acre during the summer months4 ,in many parts of the country sweet clover has proved to be an excellent pasturage crop for hogs4 ,when it is utilized for this purpose it usually is seeded alone and pastured for two seasons4 ,the hogs may be turned on the field the first year as soon as the plants have made a #f-;inch growth4 ,from this time until late fall an abundance of forage is produced1 as pasturing induces the plants to send out many tender1 succulent branches4 ,pasturing the second season may begin as soon as growth starts in the spring4 ,if the field is not closely grazed the second season it is advisable to clip it occasionally1 leaving an #h-;inch stubble1 so as to produce a more succulent growth4 ,an acre of sweet-clover pasture ordinarily will support #bj to #cj shotes in addition to furnishing a tight cutting of hay 7fig4 #b74 ,for the best growth of the hogs1 they should be fed each day #b pounds of grain per hundredweight of the stock4 ,hogs are very fond of sweet clover roots and should be ringed before being turned on the pasture4 ,the tendency to root may generally be overcome by adding some protein to the grain ration4 ,meat meal serves this purpose very well4 ,the ,iowa ,agricultural ,experiment ,station conducted an interesting pasturing experiment with spring pigs in #aiaj1 ,in this experiment1 pigs weighing approximately #ch pounds each were pastured for a period of #ada days on two plats of red clover1 a plat of ,dwarf ,essex rape1 and a plat of yellow biennial sweet clover4 ,the pigs pasturing on each plat received a ration of ear corn4 ,the ration given to the pigs on one plat of red clover and on that of rape was supplemented with meat meal to the extent of one-tenth of the ear corn ration4 ,the feed given to the pigs pasturing on sweet clover was supplemented with meat meal at the same rate during only the last #eg days of the test4 ,the red clover was seeded in #aijh and reseeded in #aiji1 so that the plat contained a very good stand of plants at least one year old4 ,the sweet clover was seeded in the spring of #aiaj1 while the rape was sown on ,april #d1 #aiaj1 in #bd-;inch rows4 ,the pigs were turned on the forage plats on ,june #bb4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #b4--;,hogs pasturing on sweet clover4 ,the results of this experiment1 as presented in ,table ,i1 show that sweet clover carried more pigs to the acre and produced cheaper gains and a greater net profit per acre than either red clover or rape4 ,to judge from the date of seeding of the plants tested1 it was to be expected that the pigs pasturing on the sweet clover would not gain as rapidly at first as those pasturing on the other forage plants1 as the growth of the sweet clover at this time was undoubtedly much less than that of the other crops4 ,this assumption is borne out by the results given for the first #hd days of the test4 ,during this period the pigs on the rape made a net gain of #aa4ee per acre and those on the red clover #f4hf per acre more than those on the sweet clover4 ,in these computations corn was valued at #ej cents per bushel and hogs at #f per hundredweight4 ,during the latter part of the experiment there was but a scant growth of red clover on the plats1 while the sweet clover produced an abundance of forage1 and during this period of the experiment the pigs pasturing on sweet clover made a net gain of #aj4ad per acre more than those pasturing on red clover and #ag4da per acre more than those pasturing on rape4 7,table ,i47 ,the difference in net profits probably would have been greater had white sweet clover been used instead of yellow sweet clover1 as it makes a larger growth and contains approximately the same ratio of food elements4 ,table ,i4--,relative merits of ,dwarf ,essex rape1 red clover1 and yellow sweet clover when pastured by spring pigs for #ada days1 ,june #bb to ,november #aj1 #aiaj4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ----- ,supplementary feed required ,total ,net for #ajj cost profit ,initial ,total ,average pounds of gain4 of #ajj per ,number weight gain1 daily -------------- pounds acre4#c ,forage tested1 plat area1 of per all gain ,shelled ,meat of and ration4 hogs4 hog4 hogs4 per hog4 corn4 ,meal4 gain4#b ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ----- ,pounds4,pounds4 ,pounds4,pounds4,pounds4 ,rape 7,dwarf ,essex1 #j4i acre71 and ear corn#d plus one-tenth meat meal4 #ah #cg4h #b1hja4g #a4aj #bib4e #cc4ii #c4gi 444444 ,reduced to acre basis4 #bj 4444 #c1aac4j 4444 44444 44444 44444 #hh4fd ,clover 7medium red1 #j4h acre7 and ear corn alone#d4 #ae #ci4j #a1gij4j 4#hd #cgj4f ,none4 #c4ga 444444 ,reduced to acre basis4 #ah4ge 4444 #b1bcg4e 4444 44444 44444 44444 #ea4bj ,clover 7medium red1 #j4h acre7 and ear corn#d plus one-tenth meat meal4 #ae #ci4j #b1cid4j #a4ac #bii4c #cd4gg #c4hd 444444 ,reduced to acre basis4 #ah4ge 4444 #b1iib4e 4444 44444 44444 44444 #fd4ee ,sweet clover#e 7yellow biennial1 #j4h acre7 and ear corn#d plus one-tenth meat meal4 #ah #cg4h #b1eid4j #a4jb #cac4f #bd4gj #c4gj 444444 ,reduced to acre basis4 #bb4fj 4444 #c1bdb4e 4444 44444 44444 44444 #gd4ej ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ------ #b ,corn valued at #ej cents per bushel1 meat meal at #b4ej per hundredweight4 #c ,hogs valued at #f per hundredweight4 #d ,during the first #hd days of the test1 practically two-thirds of the time1 a limited ration of corn was given1 while during the last #eg days the pigs received a full feed4 #e ,the pigs pasturing on sweet clover received meat meal only during the last #eg days of the experiment4 ,an experiment reported by the ,new ,jersey ,agricultural ,experiment ,station shows that a mixture of rape and sweet clover makes an exceptionally fine pasture for hogs4 ,in this experiment the mixture of rape and sweet clover produced more pasturage than alfalfa and was preferred to alfalfa by the hogs4 ,it was seeded at the rate of #f pounds of ,dwarf ,essex rape and #aj pounds of sweet clover to the acre4 ,sheep relish sweet clover and make rapid gains when pastured on it4 ,care must be taken to see that pastures are not overstocked with sheep1 as they are likely to eat the plants so close to the ground as to kill them4 ,this is especially true the first year1 before the plants have formed crown buds4 ,yellow biennial sweet clover probably would not suffer from this cause as much as the white species1 because the plants make a more prostrate growth and are not likely to be eaten so closely to the ground4 ,horses and mules do well on sweet-clover pastures4 ,on account of the high protein content sweet clover provides excellent pasturage for young stock4 ,no cases of slobbering have been noted with horses4 ,,tainting ,,milk ,,and ,,butter4 ,milk may be tainted occasionally when cows are pasturing on sweet clover4 ,however1 the large majority of farmers who pasture sweet clover on an extensive scale report very little or no trouble4 ,the flavor imparted to milk at times is not disliked by all people1 as some state that it is agreeable and does not harm the market value of dairy products in the least4 ,this trouble is experienced for the most part in the early spring4 ,the tainting of milk may be avoided by taking the cows off the pasture two hours before milking and keeping them off until after milking the following morning4 ,,bloating4 ,unlike the true clovers and alfalfa1 sweet clover seldom causes bloat2 in fact1 with the exception of the summer of #aiae1 only a few authentic cases of bloat have thus far been recorded in sections where large acreages are pastured with cattle and sheep4 ,a number of cases of bloat wore reported in ,iowa during the abnormally wet season of #aiae4 ,no satisfactory explanation for this comparative freedom from bloating has been offered4 ,it is held by some that the coumarin in the plants prevents bloating1 but this has not been established experimentally4 ,,treatment ,,for ,,bloat4 ,cattle4--,if the case of bloat is not extreme1 it may be sufficient to drive the animals at a walk for a quarter or half an hour4 ,in urgent cases the gas must be allowed to escape without delay1 and this is best accomplished by the use of the trocar4 ,in selecting the place for using the trocar1 the highest point of the distended flank equally distant from the last rib and the point of the hip must be chosen4 ,here an incision about three-fourths of an inch long should be made with a knife through the skin1 and then the sharp point of the trocar1 being directed downward1 inward1 and slightly forward1 is thrust into the paunch4 ,the sheath of the trocar should be left in the paunch as long as any gas continues to issue from it4 ,in the absence of a trocar an incision may be made with a small-bladed knife and a quill used to permit the gas to escape4 ,care must be taken to see that the quill does not work down out of sight into the incision4 ,another remedy consists in tying a large bit1 the diameter of a pitchfork handle1 in the mouth1 so that a piece of rubber tubing may be passed through the mouth to the first stomach to allow the gas to escape4 ,when the animal is not distressed and the swelling of the flank is not great1 or when the most distressing condition has been removed by the use of the trocar1 it is best to administer internal medicine4 ,two ounces of aromatic spirits of ammonia should be given every half hour in a quart of cold water1 or half an ounce of chlorid of lime may be dissolved in a pint of tepid water and the dose repeated every half hour until the bloating has subsided4#f #f ,see ,diseases of ,cattle1 a special report of the ,bureau of ,animal ,industry4 ,for acute bloating the ,kentucky ,agricultural ,experiment ,station recommends #a quart of a #a-a_/b per cent solution of formalin1 followed by placing a wooden block in the animal's mouth and by gentle exercise if the animal can be gotten up4 ,sheep4--,gas may be removed quickly from bloated sheep by using a small trocar4 ,the seat of the operation is on the most prominent portion of the left flank4 ,,sweet-,,clover ,,hay4 ,when sweet-clover hay is cut at the right time and cured properly it is eaten readily by all classes of live stock4 ,as the hay is rich in protein1 growing stock make gains on it comparable to the gains of those fed on alfalfa4 ,the quantity and quality of the milk produced when the hay is fed to cows are approximately the same as when other legumes are used4 ,hay which is cut the first year is fine stemmed and leafy and resembles alfalfa in general appearance4 ,unless it is cut at the proper time the second year1 it will be stemmy and unpalatable4 ,feeding experiments show that it contains practically as much digestible protein as alfalfa and more than red clover1 but the hay is not as palatable as red clover or alfalfa when the plants are permitted to become coarse and woody4 ,when sweet clover is seeded in the spring without a nurse crop in the northern and western sections of the ,united ,states1 a cutting of hay may be obtained the same autumn4 ,when it is seeded with a nurse crop in these regions1 the rainfall during the late summer and early fall will largely determine whether the plants will make sufficient growth to be cut for hay4 ,on fertile1 well-limed soils in the ,east1 in the eastern ,north-,central ,states1 in ,iowa1 and in eastern ,kansas a cutting of hay is commonly obtained after grain harvest when the rainfall is normal or above normal4 ,in many sections of the country two1 and at times three1 cuttings of hay may be obtained the second year 7fig4 #c74 ,in the ,south two1 and sometimes three1 cuttings may be obtained the first year if the seeding is done without a nurse crop4 ,when the seed is sown in the spring with oats1 two cuttings may be secured after oat harvest4 ,three cuttings may be obtained the second year1 although it is the common practice to cut the first crop for hay and the second crop for seed4 ,,yields ,,of ,,sweet-,,clover ,,hay4 ,the total yields of sweet clover per acre for the season are usually less than those of alfalfa except in the semiarid unirrigated portions of the country4 ,sweet clover ordinarily yields more to the acre than any of the true clovers4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #c4--;,cutting sweet clover for hay in western ,kansas4 ,when the seed is sown in the spring in the ,north without a nurse crop1 yields of #a to #c tons of hay of good quality may be expected the following autumn1 ,the ,massachusetts ,agricultural ,experiment ,station obtained #b1gjj pounds of hay per acre in the fall from spring seeding1 while the ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture obtained #c1jjj pounds of hay per acre in ,august from ,may seeding in ,maryland4 ,yields of #a to #b tons1 and occasionally #c tons1 have been obtained in ,michigan1 ,illinois1 ,iowa1 ,kansas1 the ,dakotas1 and other ,states4 ,in ,illinois1 ,iowa1 and ,kansas yields of #a to #a-a_/b tons are often obtained after grain harvest when weather conditions are favorable4 ,the first crop the second season yields #a-a_/b to #c tons of hay to the acre in the northern and western sections of the ,united ,states4 ,the second crop of the second season will yield from three-fourths to #a-a_/b tons to the acre1 although this crop usually is cut for seed4 ,when sweet clover is seeded in the ,south without a nurse crop on fairly fertile soil that is not acid1 three cuttings of hay1 averaging at least a ton to the cutting1 may be secured the year of seeding4 ,when the seed is sown in the early spring on winter grain1 two cuttings1 yielding at least #a ton to the cutting1 may be obtained4 ,the first crop the second season yields on an average #a-a_/b to #c tons of hay to the acre4 ,in #aijc the ,alabama ,canebrake ,station obtained #b-a_/b tons of hay after oat harvest and a total yield of #c tons per acre from the same field in #aijd4 ,,time ,,to ,,cut ,,sweet ,,clover ,,for ,,hay4 ,the first season's growth of sweet clover does not usually get coarse and woody and therefore may be cut when it shows its maximum growth in the fall1 ,in regions where more than one crop may be obtained the first season1 the first crop should be cut when the plants have made about a #cj-;inch growth4 ,the proper time to cut the first crop the second season will vary considerably in different localities1 depending very much upon the rainfall1 the temperature1 and the fertility of the soil4 ,in no event should the plants be permitted to show flower buds or to become woody4 ,in the semiarid sections of the country sweet clover does not grow as rapidly as in more humid regions4 ,neither do the plants grow as rapidly on poor soils as upon fertile soils4 ,in the drier sections the best results usually are obtained by cutting the first crop when the plants have made a growth of #bd to #cj inches4 ,on fertile1 well-limed soils in many sections of the country a very rapid growth is made in the spring1 and often the plants will not show flower buds until they are about #e feet high4 ,on such soils it is very essential that the first crop be cut when the plants have made no more growth than #cj to #cb inches if hay is desired which is not stemmy and if a second growth is to be expected4 ,,height ,,of ,,stubble ,,to ,,be ,,left ,,when ,,cutting ,,for ,,hay4 ,it is not necessary to leave more than an ordinary stubble when cutting the sweet-clover hay crop in the fall of the year of seeding4 ,a stubble #d or #f inches in height1 however1 will serve to hold drifting snow and undoubtedly will be of some help in protecting the plants from winter injury4 ,while sweet clover without question is more hardy than red clover1 usually more or less winterkilling occurs1 and any protection which may be afforded during cold weather will be of considerable benefit4 ,while the first crop in the second year comes from the crown buds1 the new branches which produce the second crop of the second year come from the buds formed in the axils of the leaves on the lower portions of the stalks which constitute the first crop1 as shown in figure #d4 ,these branches usually commence growth when the plants are about #bd inches high4 ,in fields where the stand is heavy and where the lower portions of the plants are densely shaded1 these shoots are soon killed from lack of necessary light4 7,figs4 #d and #e47 ,the branches which are first to appear and which are first to be killed are those closest to the ground4 ,it is therefore very important when cutting this crop to cut the plants high enough from the ground to leave on the stubble a sufficient number of buds and young branches to produce a second crop4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #d4--,sweet-clover plants1 showing the direct relation that exists between the thickness of stand1 the time of cutting1 and the height at which the stubble must be cut if a second crop is to be expected4 ,the plant at the left was cut #aj day later than the plant at the right4 ,note the height at which it was necessary to cut this plant so that a second crop would develop and also the scars on the stubble where young shoots had started earlier and were killed from lack of sunlight4 ,when the stand is thin the young shoots will survive1 as they did on the plant at the right1 even though the field is cut at a later date4 ,examination of hundreds of acres of sweet clover in different sections of the ,united ,states during the summers of #aiae and #aiaf showed that the stand on at least #ej per cent of the fields was partly or entirely killed by cutting the first crop the second season too close to the ground4 ,a direct relation exists between the thickness of the stand1 the height of the plants1 and the height at which the stubble should be cut if a second crop is to be harvested4 ,it is very essential to examine the fields carefully before mowing1 so as to determine the height at which the plants should be cut in order to leave at least one healthy bud or young branch on each stub4 ,in fact1 the stand should be cut several inches above the young shoots or buds1 the stubble may die back from #a to #c inches if the plants are cut during damp or rainy weather4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #e4--,stubble of sweet clover collected in fields where #ij per cent of the plants had been killed by cutting too closely to the ground4 ,the heavy stands in these fields were not cut until the plants had made a growth of #cf to #dj inches4 ,note the scars on the stubble where young shoots started1 but died from lack of light4 ,when fields of sweet clover contain only a medium-heavy stand and when the plants have made no more than a #cj-;inch growth1 a #e to #f inch stubble usually will be sufficient to insure a second crop1 but where fields contain heavy stands--#ae to #be plants to the square foot--it may be necessary to leave an #h-;inch stubble4 ,in many fields examined in northern ,illinois in ,june1 #aiaf1 heavy stands had been permitted to make a growth of #cf to #dj inches before cutting4 ,in a number of these fields a very large percentage of the plants were killed when an #h to #ab inch stubble was left4 7,see fig4 #e47 ,a careful examination of such fields showed that the young branches had started on the lower portions of the stalks and had died from lack of light before cutting4 ,in semiarid regions1 where the plants do not make as rapid growth as in humid sections1 they may1 as a rule1 be clipped somewhat closer to the ground without injury4 ,on account of the difference in the growth that sweet clover makes on different types of soil and on account of the difference in the thickness of the stand obtained in different fields1 it is impossible to give any definite rule as to the proper height to cut the first crop4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #f4--,shoe sole to be placed on the inner shoe of the mower1 so that a high stubble may be left when mowing sweet clover3 ,a1 ,end view of the back part of the sole2 ,b1 side view of the sole1 showing general shape2 ,c1 shape of the front end of the pole when it is to be used on mowers having shoes of the type used on ,deering machines2 ,d1 forward end of the sole represented in ,b4 ,the toward end of the sole shown in ,b and ,d should be made for machines having shoes of the type used on ,mc,cormick mowers4 ,,mower ,,changes ,,for ,,cutting ,,sweet ,,clover4 ,it is good practice to replace the shoe soles of the mower with higher adjustable soles1 so that a stubble up to #ab inches in height may be left when cutting sweet clover1 ,shoe soles such as are shown in figures #f and #g may be made on any farm provided with a blacksmith's forge1 or they can be made at any blacksmith shop at a cost which should not exceed #b4ej4 ,preferably they should be of strap iron1 about one-fourth of an inch thick and #b inches wide2 however1 old pieces of iron or steel which may be found on the farm will serve the purpose4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #g4--,shoe sole to be ,used on the outer shoe of the mower1 so that a high stubble may be left when cutting sweet clover2 ,a1 ,end view of the back part of the sole2 ,b1 side view of the sole1 showing general shape2 ,c1 forward end of the sole to be used on certain ,deering machines2 ,d1 end view of the front part of sole shown in ,b4 ,then these soles are to be placed on machines that have shoes of the type used on the ,deering mower1 the forward #h inches of the sole for the inner shoe should be tapered gradually to a blunt point and bent in such a manner that it will hook into the slot in the shoe4 7,fig4 #f1 ,c47 ,when the soles are to be placed on mowers having shoes of the type used on ,mc,cormick machines1 the forward #h inches of the sole for the inner shoe should be tapered gradually to about #a inch in width1 bent forward so that it will fit against that portion of the shoe where it is to be bolted1 and have a hole of the proper size bored for the bolt three-fourths of an inch from the end4 7,fig4 #f1 ,b and ,d47 ,the bottom of the sole should be rounded1 so as to run smoothly on the ground when the cutter bar is raised to cut at different heights4 ,the back portion of the sole should be upright and should have holes bored in it1 so that it may be set for the cutter bar to rest at different heights from the ground4 ,preferably the lower hole of the upright should be located so that when the bolt in the shoe is run through it the cutter bar will be #f inches from the ground4 ,it should be long enough to permit four or five holes1 #a inch apart1 to be bored above the lower one4 7,fig4 #f1 ,a47 ,with some makes of machines it is not advisable to raise the cutter bar higher than #aj inches from the ground1 but when this is true the cutter bar may be tipped upward1 so that a #ab-;inch stubble is left4 ,the forward end of the shoe sole to be used on the outer shoe should be tapered gradually to #a inch from the end4 ,the forward inch should be one-fourth of an inch in width and bent slightly upward and inward1 so that a hook will be formed to fit into the slot in the front end of the shoe4 7,fig4 #g1 ,b47 ,the rest of the sole should curved1 so that it will run smoothly on the ground when the cutter bar is set to cut at different heights4 ,the upright which is bolted to the sole should preferably be made of three-eighths by #a inch material and should have six holes1 #a inch apart1 bored in it1 so that the outer end of the cutter bar may be raised to the same height as the inner end4 ,on practically all standard makes of mowers the outer shoe sole hooks into the shoe instead of bolting to it1 as is the case with the inner sole on some machines4 ,a wheel is used in place of a shoe sole on the outer end of the cutter bar on some machines4 ,when this is the case1 the upright to which this wheel is attached should be lengthened4 ,on other machines the forward end of the sole hooks into a slot in the shoe in the same manner as the inner sole4 ,in this event the front end of the sole should be bent slightly upward and outward4 7,fig4 #g1 ,c47 ,before shoe soles are made for any mower a careful examination should be made of the shoes to determine the exact size required and the manner in which they should be attached to the forward ends of the shoes4 ,,curing ,,and ,,handling ,,sweet-,,clover ,,hay4 ,one of the greatest difficulties in curing sweet clover is the fact that the plants usually are ready to be cut for hay at a time of the year when weather conditions are likely to be unfavorable for haymaking4 ,little trouble is experienced in curing this crop in the drier sections of the country where the methods used for alfalfa are employed4 ,the curing of sweet clover is more difficult than the curing of either red clover or alfalfa1 as the leaves are very apt to shatter before the stems are cured4 ,every possible means should be employed to save the leaves1 as these constitute the best part of the hay4 7,see ,table ,,ii47 ,table ,,ii4--,average analyses of the leaves of four samples of well-cured white sweet-clover hay4 ,analyses made by the ,bureau of ,chemistry4 ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- ,constituents 7per cent74 ---------------------------------------- ---------------- ,samples4 ,moisture4 ,ash4 ,ether ,protein4 ,crude ,nitrogen-free extract4 fiber4 extract4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ ,leaves4 #h4gj #aj4ib #c4ji #bh4bj #i4bh #ci4gh ,stems4 #h4gj #h4jh 4#gj #aj4af #ci4de #cc4jf ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ ,the hay collected for the above analyses represented the first cutting the second season4 ,the plants had made a #cj to #cf inch growth at the time of cutting4 ,it will be seen that the protein content of the leaves is almost three times as great as that of the stems4 ,in the drier sections of the country or when the first crop of the year of seeding is cut for hay in the ,north-,central ,states the mower may be started in the morning as soon as the dew is off4 ,the hay should remain in the swath until the following day1 or until it is well wilted1 when it should be raked into small windrows4 ,after remaining in the windrows for a day it may be placed in small cocks to cure4 ,cocks made from hay which has dried to this stage will not shed water well and therefore should be covered if it is likely to rain4 ,it is important that the cocks be made small enough to be thrown on the rack entire1 as many leaves will be lost if it is necessary to tear them apart4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #h4--,sweat clover curing in the cock4 ,when sweet clover is permitted to dry in the swath1 a large percentage of the leaves will be lost in windrowing and loading unless handled with the utmost care4 ,hay in this condition should never be raked while perfectly dry and brittle1 but should be raked into the windrow in the early morning or in the evening1 when it is slightly damp from dew4 ,it may then be hauled to the barn or stack after remaining in the windrow for a day4 ,one of the most successful methods for handling sweet-clover hay1 especially in regions where rains are likely to occur at haying time1 is to permit the plants to remain in the swath until they are well wilted or just before the leaves begin to cure4 ,the hay should then be raked into windrows and cocked at once 7fig4 #h74 ,the cocks should be made as high and as narrow as possible1 as this will permit better ventilation4 ,in curing1 the cocks will shrink from one-third to one-half of their original size4 ,it may take from #aj days to #b weeks to cure sweet clover by this method1 but when well cured all the leaves will be intact and the hay will have an excellent color and aroma4 ,when sweet clover is cocked at this time the leaves will cure flat and in such a manner that the cocks will readily shed water during heavy rains 7fig4 #i74 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #i4--;,a cock of sweet-clover hay which has cured in excellent condition and retained all of its leaves4 ,when sweet-clover hay is to be stacked it is highly desirable that some sort of foundation be made for the stack1 so as to prevent the loss of the hay which otherwise would be on the ground4 ,several feet of straw or grass are often used for this purpose1 but still better is a foundation of rails1 posts1 or boards placed in such a manner that air may circulate under the stack4 ,a cover should be provided for the stacks1 either in the form of a roof1 a canvas1 or long green grass4 ,if none of these means is practicable a topping of perfectly green sweet clover will cure with the leaves flat and will turn water nicely4 ,it is well known that hay made from either red clover or alfalfa will often undergo spontaneous combustion if put into the barn with too much external moisture upon it4 ,no instances of spontaneous combustion in sweet-clover hay have been noted1 but this may be due to the fact that comparatively little sweet-clover hay is stored in barns4 ,the same precautions1 therefore1 should be taken with sweet-clover hay as with red clover or alfalfa4 ,,sweet ,,clover ,,as ,a ,,silage ,,crop4 ,in some sections of the country sweet clover is gaining in favor as a silage crop1 either alone or in mixtures with other plants4 ,the silage made from this plant will keep better than that made from most legumes1 as it does not become slimy1 as is so often the case with red clover or alfalfa silage4 ,it produces a palatable feed1 which should contain more protein than well-matured corn silage4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aj4--;,filling the silo with sweet clover4 ,when sweet clover makes sufficient growth after grain harvest1 or when seeded alone1 it is not necessary to cut it for silage until fall4 ,at this time it may be run into the silo alone or in mixture with corn4 ,excellent results have been obtained by placing alternate loads of corn and sweet clover in the silo4 7,fig4 #aj47 ,when the first crop the second season is not needed for pasturage1 ensiling may prove to be the most economical and profitable way of handling it1 as it is necessary to cut this crop for hay at a time of the year when the weather conditions in humid regions are very likely to be unfavorable for haymaking4 ,the large percentage of leaves which usually are lost from shattering when harvesting the hay will be saved when the crop is run into the silo4 ,the first crop the second season will produce approximately two-thirds as much silage to the acre as corn when it is cut at the time it should be cut for hay4 ,the second crop may then be harvested for seed4 ,when sweet clover is handled in this manner1 approximately two-thirds of the total corn acreage which would be cut for silage may be permitted to mature1 as the first crop of sweet clover will replace the corn silage1 while the seed crop ordinarily will bring as much per acre as the corn4 ,in addition to this1 the roots and stubble will add large quantities of vegetable matter to the soil4 ,some farmers do not cut sweet clover for silage until it is in full bloom4 ,when this is done1 #aj to #ab tons of silage will be obtained per acre1 but the plants will be killed by the mowing4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aa4--;,cutting sweet clover with a grain binder for silage4 ,when the green plants are ensiled1 the crop preferably should be cut with a grain binder4 7,see illustration on title-page and fig4 #aa47 ,this will solve the difficulty of cutting a high stubble and will at the same time bind the plants so that they may be run through the silage cutter without difficulty4 ,green plants1 and especially the first crop of the second season1 contain too much moisture to be run into the silo immediately after cutting4 ,in some cases quantities of juice have been pressed out of the bottom of the silo1 and as a result the silage settled considerably4 ,analyses of the juice from one silo showed that it contained #j4bc per cent protein and #b per cent carbohydrates4 ,this loss of juice may be overcome by permitting the bundles to remain in the field just as they come from the binder until the plants are wilted thoroughly4 ,straw or corn stover may be placed in the bottom of the silo to absorb some of the juice4 ,if the plants contain too much moisture it may be a good plan to mix some corn stover with the sweet clover as it is run into the silo4 ,several silos in ,illinois have been filled with sweet-clover straw4 ,when this is done it is necessary to add sufficient water to moisten the dry stems4 ,these stems become soft in a short time and ensile in good condition4 ,when the seed crop is thrashed with either a grain separator or a clover huller the stems are broken and crushed sufficiently to render it unnecessary to run them through a silage cutter4 ,care must be taken when ensiling the straw to add sufficient water1 if molding is to be avoided4 ,it will probably be necessary to add water at the blower and also at the top of the silo4 ,it is essential to tramp the straw thoroughly1 so as to exclude as much air as possible4 ,after the silo is filled it should be covered with a layer of green plants and thoroughly soaked with water4 ,table ,,iii gives analyses of several sample of sweet-clover silage as compared to corn silage4 ,table ,,iii4--,composition of sweet-clover silage and well-matured corn silage4 ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- ,constituents 7per cent74 ---------------------------------------- - ,kind of ,carbohydrates4 ,number ,water4 ,ash4 ,crude --------------- silage4 of protein4 ,nitrogen- ,fat4 analyses4 ,fiber4 free extract4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ ,white sweet clover2 ,first year's growth#g #a #gc4g #a4gc #c4ag #bj4h #j4fe ,first crop1 second season#b #a #gc4g #b4eg #b4je #h4jf #ab4cb #a4bg ,straw#h #c #gc4g #a4ai #b4gj #ac4ei #h4cc 4#ej ,corn1 well matured#i #aba #gc4g #a4gj #b4aj #f4cj #ae4dj 4#hj ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ #g ,analysed by the ,illinois ,agricultural ,experiment ,station4 #h ,analysed by the ,bureau of ,chemistry4 #i ,analyses compiled by ,henry and ,morrison4 ,as shown in ,table ,,iii the analyses of the first and second years' growth of sweet clover compare favorably in food elements with corn silage4 ,it is to be expected that the silage made from the sweet clover straw would contain less protein and carbohydrates than that made from the entire plants1 as most of the leaves shatter from sweet clover before the seed crop is cut4 ,considerable protein and carbohydrates were lost from the silage made from the first crop the second season1 as the plants were run into the silo as soon as they were cut4 ,much juice was pressed from the bottom of this silo4 ,an analysis of this juice is given on page #ba4 ,,sweet ,,clover ,,as ,a ,,soiling ,,crop4 ,as a soiling crop sweet clover has been used to only a very limited extent4 ,the amperage yields of green matter vary from #f to #ae tons per acre1 ,the season for soiling may commence when the plants are #ab to #ae inches high and continue until flower buds appear4 ,an area of such a size that the plants may be cut every four or five weeks should be selected4 ,the plants should not be cut closer to the ground than #d inches during the first part of the season and #i to #ab inches during the latter part of the season4 ,on account of the high protein content and the large amount of forage produced on a relatively small area1 sweet clover may profitably be fed in this manner when more desirable soiling crops are not to be had4 ,,sweet ,,clover ,,as ,a ,,feed4 ,,palatability ,,of ,,sweet ,,clover4 ,the woody growth of sweet clover as it reaches maturity and the bitter taste due to coumarin have been the principal causes for live stock refusing to eat it at first4 ,on this account many farmers have assumed it to be worthless as a feed4 ,it is a fact that stock seldom eat the hard1 woody stems of mature plants1 but it is true also that stock eat sparingly of the coarse1 fibrous growth of such legumes as red or mammoth clover when they have been permitted to mature and have lost much of their palatability4 ,all kinds of stock will eat green sweet clover before it becomes woody1 or hay which has been cut at the proper time and well cured1 after they have become accustomed to it4 ,many cases are on record in which cattle have refused alfalfa or red clover when sweet clover was accessible4 ,milch cows have been known to refuse a ration of alfalfa hay when given to them for the first time4 ,western range cattle which have never been fed corn very often refuse to eat corn fodder1 or even corn1 for a short time1 and instances have come under observation in which they ate the dried husks and left the corn uneaten4 ,when these cattle were turned on green grass the following spring they browsed on the dead grass of the preceding season's growth1 which1 presumably more closely resembled the grass to which they were accustomed4 ,such preliminary observations should never be taken as final1 even when they represent the results of careful investigators4 ,when cowpeas were first introduced into certain sections of this country much trouble was experienced in getting stock to eat the vines1 either when cured into hay or made into ensilage4 ,this difficulty1 however1 was soon overcome4 ,it is very true that stock which have never been pastured on sweet clover or fed on the hay must become accustomed to it before they will eat it1 but the fact that sweet clover is now being fed to stock in nearly every ,state indicates that the distaste for it can be overcome easily and successfully4 ,as sweet clover usually starts growth earlier in the spring than other forage plants and as the early growth presumably contains less coumarin than older plants1 stock seldom refuse to eat it at this time4 ,properly cured hay is seldom refused by stock1 especially if it is sprinkled with salt water when the animals are salt hungry4 ,,composition ,,of ,,sweet ,,clover4 ,sweet clover1 like most legumes1 contains a relatively high percentage of protein1 thus making it a source of that valuable constituent of feeds needed for growing stock and for the production of milk4 ,table ,,iv shows the relative composition and digestibility of sweet clover as compared to some other feeds4 ,table ,,iv4--,composition and digestibility of sweet clover compared with that of other forage crops4 ,,average ,,percentage ,,composition ,,of ,,sweet ,,clover ,,and ,,other ,,forage ,,crops4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------ ,constituents 7per cent74 ---------------------------------------- ,carbohydrates4 ,number --------------- ,kinds of forage4 of ,water4 ,ash4 ,crude ,nitrogen- ,fat4 analyses4 protein4,fiber4 free extract4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,green crop3 ,sweet clover#aj #ah #ge4f #b4a #d4d #g4j #aj4b #j4g ,alfalfa#aj #adc #gd4g #b4d #d4e #g4j #aj4d #a4j ,red ,clover#aj #he #gc4h #b4a #d4a #g4c #aa4g #a4j ,hay 7moisture- free basis73 ,white sweet clover#aa #cg 4444 #h4b #ag4f #bh4b #dc4j #c4j ,yellow sweet clover#aa #c 4444 #f4d #ae4h #ce4f #ci4j #b4f ,alfalfa#aa #baa 4444 #i4f #ag4d #bi4h #dj4c #b4i ,red clover#aa #ii 4444 #g4j #ae4f #bg4g #dd4i #c4i ,timothy#aa #aid 4444 #f4b #h4b #cb4e #di4i #c4b ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,,digestible ,,nutrients ,,of ,,sweet ,,clover ,,and ,,other ,,forage ,,crops ,,when ,,fed ,,to ,,sheep4#ab ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ,digestible nutrients in #ajj pounds of air-dried hay4 ,nutritive ,dry matter------------------------------rati o4#ac ,kinds of forage4 in #ajj ,protein4,carbohy- ,fat4 ,dry pounds4 drates4 matter4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,white sweet- clover hay #ib4b #aa4hh #cf4fh #j4di #ef4ab #a3c4b ,pea hay #ic4a #aa4bd #dh4ee 4#ga #fb4e #a3d4e ,alfalfa hay #ib4b #aa4gc #db4ch 4#gb #fj4ij #a3c4h 7second cutting7 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- #aj ,analyses taken from ,henry and ,morrison's ,foods and ,feeding4 #aa ,analyses compiled by the ,bureau of ,chemistry4 #ab ,experiments conducted by the ,wyoming ,agricultural ,experiment ,station4 #ac ,the nutritive ratio is the ratio which exists between the digestible crude protein and the combined digestible carbohydrates and fat4 ,table ,,iv shows that the percentage composition of both green and cured sweet clover compares favorably with that of alfalfa and red clover4 ,perhaps the most interesting point shown in this table is that the fiber content of white sweet clover1 whether green or cured into hay1 is no greater than that of alfalfa4 ,it is understood1 however1 that the plants collected for these analyses were taken when they were at the proper stage for curing into hay4 ,table ,,iv also shows that the digestible nutrients of sweet clover when fed to sheep compare favorably with alfalfa4 ,it was stated that the sweet-clover hay used for this experiment was stemmy and that it had not been cut until it had become woody4 ,the pea hay had passed the best stage for cutting when it was harvested1 while the alfalfa hay was in excellent condition4 ,in a feeding experiment with sheep conducted by two students at the ,iowa ,state ,college it was found that the protein digested in sweet-clover feed alone was #fi per cent and that the addition of corn to the hay ration increased the digestibility of sweet clover to #hb per cent4 ,alfalfa and red clover showed similar increases of the digestibility of the protein content when corn was added to the ration4 ,the percentage of digestibility figured for the protein in the corn was the average of a number of digestion experiments4 ,the probability is that the digestibility of the corn was also increased by the presence of the hay in the ration1 so that not all the increase in the digestibility should be credited to the hay constituents of the different rations4 ,,feeding ,,experiments ,,with ,,sweet ,,clover4 ,few agricultural experiment stations have carried on definite feeding experiments to determine the value of sweet clover compared with other feeds4 ,the ,south ,dakota ,agricultural ,experiment ,station reported an experiment in which lambs were fed on sweet-clover hay in comparison with alfalfa1 pea-vine1 and prairie hay4 ,in this experiment the lambs made a better gain at a less cost when fed sweet-clover hay than when fed pea-vine hay1 but not as large a gain as when fed alfalfa hay4 ,the results of this experiment are shown in ,table ,v4 ,table ,v4--,feeding experiment with lambs in ,south ,dakota1 showing the comparative value of different kinds of hay as roughage4 ,grain ration consists of oats and corn in all cases2 roughage varies4 ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- ,average weight4,required for #a pound of gain4 ,average ----------------------------- daily ,number,duration gain ,roughage fed4 of of test4,at be- ,at end4,grain4 ,hay4 per lambs4 ginning4 head4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,days4 ,pounds4 ,pounds4,pounds4,pounds4,pounds4 ,prairie hay #af #fg #hc4f #ajg4i #e4ji #b4ce #j4cf ,pea-vine hay #aj #fg #hc4f #ajg4c #e4dj #c4ae 4#ce ,alfalfa hay #e #fg #ha4d #aai4d #c4cf #c4jb 4#ef ,sweet-clover #aj #fg #hd4g #aac4f #d4db #c4ai 4#dc hay ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ,the ,wyoming ,agricultural ,experiment ,station also performed an1 interesting experiment with lambs4 ,a number of pens of #aj to #dj lambs each were fed different mixtures of feeds for #ad weeks4 ,those receiving sweet-clover hay1 corn1 and a small amount of oil meal made an average gain of #cj4g pounds per head1 as compared with #bj4c pounds for those receiving native-grass hay1 oats1 and oil meal4 ,those receiving alfalfa hay and corn made a gain of more than #cd pounds per head4 ,the results obtained with four pens of lambs in this experiment are given in ,table ,,vi4 ,table ,,vi4--,results of feeding tests of lambs in ,wyoming covering #ad weeks4 ---------------------------------------- --------------------------------- ,required for #ajj pounds of gain4 ---------------------------------------- -- ,average,sweet- ,number gain clover ,native ,alfalfa ,corn4 ,oats4 ,oil ,ration4 of per hay4 hay4 hay4 meal4 lambs4 head4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ,sweet-clover ,pounds4,pounds4,pounds4,pounds4,pounds4 ,pounds4,pounds4 hay1 corn1 and oil meal 7old process7 #aj #cj4g #fcg4e 44444 44444 #bic4b 44444 #bj4e ,native-grass hay1 oats1 and oil meal 7old process7 #dj #bj4c 44444 #fjf4g 44444 44444 #dfj4e #be4j ,alfalfa hay and corn #aj #cd4d 44444 44444 #eeg4e #bfa4f 44444 44444 ,do #dj #cd4c 44444 44444 #eeg4c #bhf4e 44444 44444 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ,the sweet-clover hay used in this experiment was described as stemmy and more than a year old2 yet it was eaten up clean by the lambs4 ,the ,south ,dakota ,agricultural ,experiment ,station conducted an experiment in which steers were fed corn silage and various kinds of hay1 including sweet clover4 ,the steers which were fed corn silage and sweet-clover hay made an average daily gain of #b4de pounds1 at a cost of #d4cd per hundred pounds of gain1 whereas the steers which were fed corn silage and red-clover hay made an average daily gain of #b4bi pounds1 at a cost of #d4ee per hundred4 ,the steers that were fed corn silage and alfalfa hay made an average daily gain of #b4di pounds1 at a cost of #d4cj per hundred4 ,in computing the cost of the gains1 corn silage was valued at #c per ton1 alfalfa1 red-clover1 and sweet-clover hay at #aj per ton1 and prairie hay at #f per ton4 ,the results of this experiment1 as given in ,table ,,vii1 show that sweet-clover hay is practically equal to red-clover and alfalfa and greatly superior to prairie hay for roughage for steers4 ,table ,,vii4--,feeding experiments with steers in ,south ,dakota1 showing the value of sweet-clover hay as compared with some other kinds of hay4 ,corn silage fed in all cases2 kind of hay varies4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------- ,average weight4 ,feed per pound ,cost --------------- of gain4 per ,number ,at ,average-------------- #ajj of ,duration begin- ,at daily pounds ,roughage4 steers4of test4 ning4 end4 gain4 ,silage4 ,hay4 of gain4 ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- ,days4 ,pounds4,pounds4,pounds4,pounds4,pounds4 ,red-clover hay #d #ia #gge #ihc #b4bi #be #a4e #d4ee ,sweet- clover hay #d #ia #ggd #iig #b4de #bc #a4e #d4cd ,alfalfa #d #ia #gge #a1jje #b4di #bc #a4f #d4cj ,prairie #d #ia #gfi #iea #b4ja #bi #a4e #d4gi hay ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- ,the results of these various experiments are being duplicated every year by many feeders4 ,each year in the ,middle ,west and ,northwest many cattle that bring high prices are being fed with no other roughage than sweet-clover hay4 ,steers which have been pastured entirely on sweet clover have brought in the ,chicago market #a per hundredweight more than ordinary grass-pastured stock marketed from the same locality and at the same time4 ,excellent results were obtained in ,lee ,county1 ,ill41 from feeding steers sweet-clover silage made from plants which had matured a seed crop4 ,for this experiment #ia head of steers #b and #c years old1 averaging #a1jjh pounds per head1 were purchased at the ,kansas ,city stock yards on ,november #af1 #aiae1 at a cost of #f4cj per hundred4 ,these steers were shipped to a farm at ,steward and immediately turned on #abj acres of cornstalks4 ,they were fed nothing in addition to the cornstalks until ,january #ad1 #aiaf1 when they were put into the feed lot4 ,while they were not weighed when turned into the feed lot1 the owner of the steers stated that in his estimation they had gained but little1 if any4 ,during the #fj days these steers were in the feed lot they were fed #be bushels of snapped corn twice a day and as much sweet-clover silage as they would eat4 ,these animals had access to sweet-clover straw during the first part of the feeding period1 but after this was consumed they had only oat straw as roughage4 ,at the end of the feeding period they were sold on the ,chicago market at the average price of #h4be per hundred1 netting approximately #cj per head4 ,the average weight of these steers in the ,chicago yards was #a1agg pounds1 #afi pounds more than when purchased in ,kansas ,city4 ,a most remarkable feature of this experiment is the fact that the steers were fed almost entirely material which would have been considered of little value by the average farmer4 ,the corn which was fed tested #dd per cent moisture at the ,rochelle1 ,ill41 elevator1 and #bj cents per bushel was the best price offered for it4 ,presumably on account of wet weather during the fall of #aiae1 the sweet-clover seed crop was a failure in that section2 in fact1 the crop had been cut for seed and part had been thrashed before it was decided that the seed yield was not sufficient to pay for the thrashing4 ,the remainder of the crop was then run into the silo and fed to the steers4 ,the leaves fall and the stems of this plant become hard and woody as the seed matures4 ,the crop therefore would have been worthless for feed had it not been placed in the silo4 ,as a rule1 stock readily eat sweet-clover straw when the stems are broken and crushed by the hulling machines4 ,the sweet-clover straw which was used as roughage during the first part of the feeding period was from that part of the seed crop which had been thrashed4 ,an interesting feeding experiment was conducted on a farm at ,rochelle1 ,ill4 ,on ,september #g1 #aiac1 #bi head of #b-year-old steers1 averaging #hcf pounds1 were turned on #dj acres of sweet clover which had been seeded that spring with barley4 ,these animals were pastured on the sweet clover until ,november #a without additional feed4 ,during this time they made exceptionally large gains4 ,from ,november #a to ,december #aa1 #bh head of these steers had access to an #hj-;acre field of cornstalks4 ,on ,december #aa they were put into the feed lot4 ,during the time these steers were on the cornstalks they barely held their gain1 but during the first #cj days they were in the feed lot they made an average daily gain of almost #c pounds4 ,in this period they received #bae bushels of corn-and-cob meal and #af-c_/d tons of silage made from the first-year growth of sweet clover4 ,during the next #cj days they received #chh bushels of corn-and-cob meal and much less sweet-clover1 silage4 ,during this time they made an average daily gain of #b pounds4 ,when the corn-and-cob meal ration was increased the steers ate less silage4 ,these cattle dressed #ee-a_/h per cent at a ,chicago packing house4 ,,sweet ,,clover ,,as ,a ,,soil-,,improving ,,crop4 ,unlike many legumes1 sweet clover will make a good growth on soils too depleted in humus for profitable crop production4 ,in addition to its ability to grow and to produce a considerable quantity of forage on such soils1 it will add much humus to them4 ,the extensive root systems do much toward breaking up the subsoil1 thereby providing better aeration and drainage4 ,the effect of the large1 deep roots in opening up the subsoil and providing better drainage is often very noticeable in the spring1 as the land upon which sweet clover has grown for several years will be in a condition to plow earlier than the adjacent fields where it has not been grown4 ,the roots are often one-eighth of an inch in diameter at a depth of #c feet1 and they decay in five to eight weeks after the plants die4 7,figs4 #ab and #ac47 ,the holes made by the roots are left partly filled with a fibrous substance which permits rapid drainage4 ,sandy soils are benefited materially by the addition of humus and nitrogen1 while hardpan often is broken up so completely that alfalfa or other crops will readily grow on the land4 ,the roots add much organic matter to the layers of soil below the usual depth of plowing1 while those in the surface soil1 together with the stubble and stems1 when the crop is plowed under1 add more humus than possibly any other legume which may be grown in short rotations4 ,not only does this crop add organic matter to the soil1 but in common with other legumes it has the power of fixing atmospheric nitrogen by means of the nitrogen-gathering bacteria in the nodules on the roots4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ab4--;,a portion of a root of sweet clover1 collected #cj days after the seed crop had been cut4 ,the cortex was so decayed that it remained in the ground when the root was removed4 ,note that the pith has largely disappeared and that the half-rotten central cylinder is all that remains4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ac4--,the same root shown in figure #ab after being crushed between the thumb and forefinger4 ,illustrating how rapidly sweet-clover roots decay after the plants die4 ,the holes left in the ground by the rapid decay of the roots facilitate drainage4 ,the ability of sweet clover to reclaim abandoned1 run-down land has been demonstrated in northern ,kentucky and in ,alabama4 ,in these regions many farms were so depleted in nitrogen and humus by continuous cropping with nonleguminous crops that profitable yields could be obtained no longer1 ,through the use of this crop many of these farms have been brought back to a fair state of fertility4 ,tests at the ,alabama ,agricultural ,experiment ,station show that the increased yield of corn following sweet clover which had occupied the land for two years was #f-c_/d bushels per acre4 ,the cotton grown on the land the second year showed an increase of #ef pounds per acre4 ,the combined value of the increased yields of corn and cotton for the two years was estimated at #i4ge4 ,the total yield of hay for the two preceding years was #f4h tons per acre4 ,in another experiment at this station cotton was planted on land that had grown sweet clover the two previous years and on land that had received an application of #ah tons of stable manure per acre4 ,the sweet-clover plat produced #bhj pounds of seed cotton the first year and #abj pounds of seed cotton the second year more than the plat which received the heavy application of manure4 ,land on which sweet clover had been grown for four years at the ,ohio ,agricultural ,experiment ,station yielded #bf4i bushels of wheat per acre as compared with #ah4f bushels on the check plat4 ,sweet clover was seeded at the ,tennessee ,agricultural ,experiment ,station in the spring of #aiab4 ,one cutting of hay was removed that year and the following spring the field was plowed and planted to corn4 ,the corn yielded #eh4h bushels per acre as compared with #da4a bushels per acre for an adjoining plat where rye was turned under4 ,a number of tests have been conducted in southeastern ,kansas which show clearly the value of sweet clover as a soil-improving crop for that section4 ,the yield of wheat has been increased as much as #g bushels per acre and that of corn as much as #bb bushels per acre by plowing under the second-year growth of clover4 ,annual yellow sweet clover is rapidly gaining in favor as a green-manure crop for orchards in the ,southwest4 ,in ,arizona two plats seeded in ,october and plowed under in ,april yielded1 respectively1 #af and #ag tons of green matter to the acre4 ,at the ,arizona ,agricultural ,experiment ,station annual yellow sweet clover1 lupines1 and alfalfa were tested as green-manure crops for orchards4 ,in this experiment the sweet clover clearly showed its superiority to lupines or alfalfa for this purpose1 as it yielded from #ba to #bf tons of green matter per acre1 whereas the highest yield for the lupines was #aj tons and for the alfalfa #ae tons per acre4 ,the use of annual sweet clover as a green-manure crop in southern ,california has increased very rapidly in recent years1 and this increased use apparently has been justified by the results obtained with it4 ,one of the most interesting green-manure tests thus far noted was conducted at the ,california ,citrus ,experiment ,station4 ,in this experiment nine legume plats and eight nonlegume plats alternated with each other4 ,the #d-year average weight of green matter produced on the sweet-clover plat was #ad-c_/d tons per acre1 whereas the #e-year average weight of green matter produced by common vetch and ,canada field peas was #ab tons and #i tons1 respectively1 per acre4 ,on one series of these plats corn was planted in rotation with the clover4 ,the average yield of shelled corn for four years was #df bushels to the acre on the sweet-clover plat1 as compared with #ce bushels to the acre on the common-vetch plat and #dj bushels per acre on the field-pea plat4 ,one barley plat receiving each year an application of #a1jhj pounds of nitrate of soda gave an average yield of #da bushels per acre4 ,the #b-year average yield of potatoes following sweet clover was #beb bushels per acre1 as compared with #aga bushels following common vetch and #bcd bushels following field peas4 ,sweet clover has proved to be an excellent plant to grow in rotation with sugar beets1 as the #b-year average for the beets following it was #ai4h tons per acre1 as compared with #ae4c tons following common vetch1 and #ag4f tons following field peas4 ,annual yellow sweet clover makes a profitable growth only in the ,south and ,southwest and therefore should not be planted in any other section of the country4 ,in those sections of the ,united ,states where the soils are low in humus it is to be strongly recommended that sweet clover be grown for green manure4 ,this method is being practiced in some sections of the country with excellent results4 ,it should be remembered that sweet clover will not make a satisfactory growth on acid soils and that it is very essential to provide inoculation if the soil is not inoculated already4 ,,sweet ,,clover ,,in ,,rotations4 ,as sweet clover is a biennial plant1 it lends itself readily to short rotations4 ,it may be seeded in the spring on winter grain or with spring grain1 the same as red clover4 ,it will produce at least as much pasturage the following fall as red clover1 and in some parts of the country a cutting of hay may be obtained after the grain harvest4 ,the following year the plants will produce two cuttings of hay or one cutting of hay and a seed crop4 ,in some sections of the ,united ,states this plant is replacing red clover in rotations1 as it will succeed on poorer soils than red clover and will add much more humus to the soil4 ,it will withstand drought better than either red clover or alfalfa1 and on this account its use in rotations may be extended into drier sections4 ,as a rule the beneficial effect of sweet clover on the subsequent crops is more marked than that of other legumes4 ,this is especially true with corn1 and whenever possible corn should follow sweet clover in rotations4 ,root crops also are benefited by its use in rotations1 as the large deep roots of sweet clover open up the soil4 ,,sweet ,,clover ,,as ,a ,,honey ,,plant4 ,a number of the leading honey plants fail to secrete nectar in part of the territory in which they are found1 but white sweet clover ranks as a valuable source of nectar wherever found in sufficient quantity in the ,united ,states4 ,the period of nectar secretion usually follows that of white and alsike clovers in the ,northern ,states1 and consequently comes at a time when the colonies are strong enough to get the full benefit of the secretion4 ,the honey from white sweet clover is light in color1 with a slight green tint1 the flavor being mild and suggestive of vanilla4 ,the characteristic flavor and color of the honey seem to be less marked during a rapid secretion of nectar1 ,in the irrigated portions of the ,west honey from white sweet clover is often mixed with that from alfalfa4 ,beekeepers have long recognized the value of sweet clover as a source of nectar1 and for years tons of seed have been sold annually by dealers in beekeepers' supplies4 ,it has never been found profitable to cultivate any plant solely for nectar1 and those beekeepers who were primarily interested in the plant for bee forage have scattered the seed chiefly in waste places and along railroad embankments and roadsides4 ,a number of beekeepers who were also engaged in general farming have for years utilized the plant for forage1 and they were among the earliest to grow the plant for seed1 so as to be able to supply their fellow beekeepers4 ,sweet clover to-day is almost the only plant which beekeepers seek to increase in waste lands in their localities4 ,the yield of nectar from sweet clover is heavy1 and a number of beekeepers now market this honey in carload lots4 ,sweet clover is utilized for honey especially in ,kentucky1 in ,iowa1 and in ,colorado and adjacent ,states4 ,in ,alabama and ,mississippi a number of beekeepers are harvesting large crops chiefly from this source4 ,the color and flavor make this plant suitable for either comb or extracted honey4 ,yellow sweet clover is perhaps as valuable for nectar as white sweet clover1 but beekeepers have paid less attention to it4 ,this is probably due to the fact that the blooming period of the yellow species often coincides with that of white and alsike clover1 making it less valuable to the beekeeper4 ,in sections where the quantity of white and alsike clover is limited and it is desired to plant sweet clover for bee pasturage1 a mixture of the white and yellow species is recommended1 as the yellow species will bloom from #aj to #ad days earlier than the white4 ,wherever any of the species of sweet clover are cultivated1 either for forage or for seed1 beekeeping is to be recommended as a valuable source of additional income1 and such locations are especially suitable for extensive commercial beekeeping4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber ,note ,minor typos may have been corrected4 ,illustrations may have been moved to avoid splitting paragraphs4 ,many of the ,tables have labels which are displayed as italics2 but due to space limitations in the text-only version1 the italicization was ignored4