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SWEET CLOVER: GROWING THE CROP

H. S. COE

Assistant, Office of Forage Crop Investigations

FARMERS' BULLETIN 797

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry

WM. A. TAYLOR, chief

Washington, D. C.

April, 1917

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THE cultivation of sweet clover should be preceded by athrough knowledge of the requirements for obtaininga stand.

The white species comprises a very large percentage of thepresent acreage of sweet clover.

Annual yellow sweet clover should be sown in no portionof the United States except the South and Southwest, and thenonly as a cover of green-manure crop.

Sweet clover is being cultivated in practically every Statein the Union. At the present time the largest acreage is foundin The western North-Central States and in the MountainStates.

Sweet clover is adapted to a wider range of climatic conditionsthan any of the true clovers, and possibly alfalfa.

Sweet clover will grow on practically all soil types to befound in this country, provided the soil is not acid and is wellinoculated.

Sweet clover is more drought resistant than alfalfa or redclover. It is quite resistant to alkali.

The lime requirement of sweet clover is as high as that ofred clover or alfalfa. Maximum growth is obtained only onsoils that are not acid.

Sweet clover usually will respond to applications of fertilizersand manure.

In the move humid sections of the country good standsusually are obtained by seeding with a nurse crop.

Only seed which germinates 75 per cent or more should besown in the spring of the year unless the rate of seeding isincreased to make up for poor germination.

Sweet clover does best when seeded on a well-firmed seedbed which has only sufficient loose soil on the surface tocover the seed.

It is very essential that inoculation be provided in someform if success is to be expected.

The large number of failures in obtaining a stand of sweetclover are due primarily to acid soils, lack of inoculation, andseed which germinates poorly.

Spring seedings in general are satisfactory, but in the Southexcellent stands are obtained from midwinter seedings alsoFall seedings are usually successful south of the latitude ofsouthern Ohio.

A Farmers' Bulletin (No. 820) on the utilization of sweetclover for pasture, hay, and as a green-manure is about tobe issued.

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SWEET CLOVER: GROWING THE CROP.

CONTENTS.