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Alsike Clover

Categories: THE CLOVERS

A variety of clover that may have gained more

popularity than its merit warrants is alsike clover. It is more nearly

perennial than the mammoth. The roots do not go deep into the subsoil

like those of the red or the mammoth, and therefore it is better

adapted to wet land. It remains several years in the ground when

grazed, and is usually found in seed mixtures for pastures. It is

decumbent, and difficult to harvest for
hay when seeded alone. It is

credited with higher yields than the red by most authorities, but this

is not in accord with observation in some regions, and it is markedly

inferior to the red in the organic matter and the nitrogen supplied the

soil in the roots.



The popularity of this clover is due to its ability to withstand some

soil acidity and bad physical conditions. In regions where red clover

is declining on account of lack of lime, one may see some alsike. The

rule is to mix alsike with the red at the rate of one or two bushels of

the former to six bushels of the latter. As the seed of the alsike is

hardly half as large as that of the red, the proportion in the mixture

is greater than some farmers realize. The practice is an excellent one

where the red will not grow, and the alsike adds fertility, but when

the soil has been made alkaline, the red clover should have nearly all

the room. Alsike is a heavy producer of seed.



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