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CLOVER
- Alsike, Altaswede Red, Arlington Red, Dutch White, Field White,
Haifa White, Ladino, Medium Red, White Blossom Sweet, and Yellow
Blossom Sweet. Alsike
clover tillers profusely from the crown, with stems
at least as long or longer than those of red clover but more
slender and prostrate. Stems
and leaves are smooth, hands are somewhat smaller than red clover
and the flowers are pink or white.
Inclusion of timothy with alsike is highly desirable
since the clover is likely to lodge badly and make curing difficult. Alsike usually produces only one crop of hay. Establishment is often possible on poorly drained
and overflow land. It lacks persistence, living only two years.
It is susceptible to many diseases and insect damage.
Ladino clover is a giant version of white clover
that is smooth with prostrate growth habit.
The plant develops a primary, which dies before or during
the second year of growth.
Perenniality eventually depends upon the secondary root
system from the nodes of stolons and upon the proportion and
rate of auxiliary buds developing into stolons rather than flowers.
Ladino contains a high percentage of crude protein and amino
acids. Bloat is particularly associated with grazing
of lush green legumes, such as white clover, but proper management
and methods of control can minimize the danger.
It is almost impossible to dry for hay.
Red clover is the Vermont State Flower. All red clovers may be grouped into three divisions: early flowering,
late flowering, and wild red.
It is a herbaceous plant made up of numerous leafy stems
rising from a crown. Fertile
well drained soils of high moisture-holding capacity are best
for growing red clover. An early spring seeding is favored. It is used
extensively in pasture mixes and for renovating old pastures.
The inclusion of grass in clover pastures is desirable to control
soil erosion and cattle are less likely to bloat on mixtures.
Red clover is subject to a number of diseases and limited
to a 3-year productive life. Arlington red clover has
high resistance to northern anthracnose and powdery mildew.
It is an early flowering variety.
Medium red clover is an early flowering type which
produces two-three hay crops per year and has biennial or short-lived
perennial growth habit. Sweet clover thrives under a wide range
of soil and climate conditions with one restriction—it does
not tolerate acid soils. It
is one of the first plants to invade and make a successful growth
on highway cuts where nonacid subsoil is exposed.
Flowers are either white or yellow.
The yellow flowered species (Melilotus officianalis)
tends to be finer stemmed and of better quality but is earlier
maturing and somewhat less productive than the white. Requirements
for establishing are similar to those for alfalfa except the
hard seed should be properly scarified before seeding.
White clover in general is a decumbent, perennial legume best adapted to moist,
fine-textured soils and cool humid climates.
It spreads by means of shallow rooting stolons.
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