Doubtful Substitutes For Clover

The failure of the clover erop in recent years in many localities, owing to the ravages of the roo borer and other causes, lias induced a search for other Eorage plants to take its place, and numeróos inquines are received by the station in regard to sticfa plants. Those mentioned below have been employed in certain localities and for certain purposes and under the proper conditions are of undoubted value, hut they cannot be recommended for general cultiviition in Michigan. The station is investigating possible substitutos for clover, and remedies for the clover failure, and, rnay in time have something valuable to suggest. Meanwhile a word of caution seems in place against expecting too much from the plants here mentioned. If the clover is found in the spring to be killed, the field may be planted to corn or sowed to millet. Omitting the clover erop for a year will starve out the borer and enable clover to be grown again. In any case one erop of hay may be expected from the clover before it fails. Alfalfa.- The yield of this in Michigan is seldom greater and usual 1 y less than that of common red clover, whüe the plant itself is less desirable in several respects. The sterns are rather wood}' and the leaves crumble badly in euring. It is difticult to get a good stand. The plants start well in spring hut in our midsummej droughts cease growing, turn yellow ancl become overshadow.ed by weeds. Alfalfa is best adapted to the South and West. It prefers a deejp fertile soil, either naturally nioist or irrigated. On dry soils it requires good care until its long roots have become well established. Small plots well cared for háve furnished g 1 pasture in this state, and a little of the seed may well be sovvn for trial with the seeds oí other forage plante in a field intended for pasture. Alfalfa heaves out on heavv soils as badly as clover. Ciimson Clover. - This is proving to be a valuable erop in the middle and south Atlantic states where it thrives on soil too light for other clovers. So far as tested in the West and North the results have not been satisfactory. Small plots have been grown at this station for many years with 110 particularly promising resulta, as the yields have been too ineager for profitable cultivation. This season we liave t growing in a plot by itself and also in a half acre mixture with other elovers and grasses. It is now (July 20) coming in flower six inches to a foot high. Crimson Clover is an annual, living hut one season, though in favorable localities it may be sown earlv in the fall, when it lives over winterand produces its erop the nextseason. Spurry. - This was recommended in a bulletin of this station last yestr as a valuable plant for improving certain high sandy soils. Many have since tested it on yarious soils as a forage plant with satisfactory results. It is too small and oontains too little substanee to be of value where clover or the ordidary grasses will grow. Moreover it is somewhat inclined to become a weed. Since years, upholstering and making over parlor furniture bas been my great specialty. To lili up time and keep all my help busy during the dull suminer months, I have decided to do upholstery work at greatly reduced prices for the next sixty days. If you wisfa to have any work doiie let me know and I will make you an estímate.