SOIL IMPROVEMENT CROPS

SWEET CLOVER

Extrects from bulletins issued by the Manitoba Agricultural College, the University of Alberta and
the University of Saskatchewan Extension Departments, and others

6
A

For further information on this subject write to your nearest Agricultural College or Experimental
Farm. A list of these is given in Bulletin No. 46.

ISSUED BY

EATON’S FARM NEWS SERVICE
WINNIPEG, CANADA

Sweet clover now has a well established and recognized place among the farm
crops grown in Western Canada. It has become one of the most important soil im-
provement and forage crops on our farms.

One of its most valuable qualities is
its ability to improve soils. Being a
legume, it extracts free nitrogen from
the air, and stores it in its roots and
tissues. Nitrogen is one of the most
essential plant foods, as well as the most
expensive. Sweet clover thrives on poor
soils, and produces an abundance of large
fleshy roots, which decay very readily,
and supply organic matter to the soil.
They also improve the texture of the soil,
and provide better drainage and aeration.

TYPES OF SWEET CLOVER

It is not the purpose of this bulletin to
enter into a description of all the differ-
ent types of sweet clover, but just to
name a few of the most common kinds.
These are: The White Flowered Biennial,
the Arctic (or Hansen Siberian) White,
the Hubam, and the Yellow Flowered
Biennial.

IN CROP ROTATIONS FO

Being a biennial crop sweet clover fits Be pe as
well in either short or long rotations. hn wee
Accordingly, it may be rotated over the CO gf
entire farm in a comparatively short
time. It is capable of filling a valuable
place in dry land rotations as a pasture,
hay, silage or seed crop, or even as an
emergency pasture, and its presence in
the rotation ensures additional fibre to
the soil. Sweet clover may also be sown
between two of the main farm crops of the rotation to serve the purpose of a green
manure crop, without occupying the land a full crop season.

Two rotations with sweet clover are here suggested for dry lands:

1. ist Year—Spring plowed land, fallowed until July, seeded to sweet clover broad-
cast, with a light nurse crop if moisture conditions are favorable. 2nd Year—Sweet
clover for hay and pasture. Break up immediately after haying and fallow until late
August and seed to Winter rye or Winter wheat, or seed the following Spring to Spring
grains. 3rd Year—Winter rye, Winter wheat or Spring grains.

2. First Year—Fallow or hoed crop. 2nd Year—Spring grain. 3rd Year—Spring
grain seeded with sweet clover in rows.

4th Year—Sweet clover, break in July. Fallow and seed to Winter rye, Winter
wheat, or pasture sweet clover until Fall, and fallow the next year.

The following is a suggested .outline for a rotation that could be used on a stock
farm, or on a portion of a grain farm near the buildings, to furnish pasture and hay
for work horses, dairy cattle, etc.: 1st Year—Summerfallow. 2nd Year—Wheat (half
area seeded down to sweet clover). 3rd Year—Half field, coarse grain. Half field,
sweet clover.

The farm is divided into three fields—one-third summerfallow, one-third wheat
(half seeded down to sweet clover), with the rest of the farm in coarse grains and
sweet clover. After the first cycle of the rotation had been completed, the sweet
= would then be grown on the half of the field which had had no clover the first
cycle.

Sweet Clover Plant in Bloom

[OVER