,
which would tend to smother other plants sown along with it.

The amount of seed to sow has been variously stated at from 15 to 20
pounds per acre. The smaller amount should be enough for almost any
purpose, and a much smaller amount should suffice for sowing in byplaces
and along road sides, where the plants retain possession of the ground
through self-seeding.

=Pasturing.=--Because of the bitter aromatic principle which it
contains, known as commarin, stock dislike it, especially at the first.
And it is questionable if they can be educated to like it in areas where
other food, which is more palatable, grows abundantly. In an experiment
directed by the author at the Minnesota University Experiment Station,
sheep pastured upon it, and did not take kindly to it; but by turning
them in to graze upon it in the morning, they cropped it down. In
localities where good grazing is not plentiful, if live stock have
access to it, especially when the plants are young, they will so crop it
down that in a few years it will entirely disappear. But where other
pastures are abundant, it will continue to grow indefinitely. It would
not seem wise to sow it for the purpose of providing grazing, unless
where the conditions for growing other and better grazing are
unfavorable.

Some have spoken favorably of sweet clover for soiling uses. It makes a
very rapid growth quite early in the season, and when cut and wilted
more or less before being fed, the palatability is thereby considerably
increased. Small plots of this plant near the outbuildings may in this
way be utilized with some advantage in the absence of better soiling
plants.

=Harvesting for Hay.=--Sweet clover is not a really good hay plant under
any conditions, and if not cut until it becomes woody, is practically
valueless for hay. It ought to be cut for hay a little before the stage
of bloom. If cutting is longer deferred, the plants become woody. Such
early cutting, however, adds much to the difficulty of curing the crop,
since, while naturally succulent, its succulence is then, of course,
considerably more than at a later period. It should be cured like medium
red clover. (See page 96.) If not cut sufficiently early, and cured with
as much care as is exercised in curing alfalfa, there will be
considerable loss from the shedding of the leaves.

More commonly the plants are not cut for hay the year that they are
sown, but some seasons such harvesting is entirely practica