Sweet Clover Not An Alfalfa
Categories:
Grains and Forage Crops
I send you a sample of alfalfa which grows very vigorous here on my
place spontaneously and would like you to give me all the information
about it you will, as a feed for cows and hogs. The stock seem to eat it
well.
The plant is not alfalfa at all. It is white sweet clover (melilotus
alba), and it is usually considered a great pest in alfalfa fields,
because although it grows vigorously as you describe, it is not
generally accepted by stock, unless once in awhile some one considers it
a good thing, perhaps because he keeps stock hungry enough to enjoy it
in spite of its rank taste and smell, but, usually when they can get
alfalfa they will not pay much attention to this plant. It is good for
bee pasturage, however, and is grown to some extent for that purpose.
You probably had the seed of it in your alfalfa seed. It is a biennial
and not a perennial like alfalfa. It will disappear if you can keep it
from going to seed.